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PHOTOGRAPHIC  VIEWS 


OP 


EGYPT,  PAST  AID  PRESENT. 


BY 

vS 

JOSEPH  P.  THOMPSON. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  P.  JEWETT  AND  COMPANY. 
CLEVELAND,  OHIO: 

JEWETT,  PROCTOR,  AND  WORTHINGTON. 

1854. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 
JOHN  P.  JEWETT  & CO. 

the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


CAMBRIDGE: 

ALLEN  AND  FARNHAM,  STEKEOTYPERS  AND  PRINTERS. 


BOSTON:  ENGRAVINGS  BY  DANIEL  t.  smith. 


TO 


MY  COMPANIONS  IN  TRAVEL, 

PROF.  THOMAS  C.  UPHAM,  D.  D.,  OF  BOWDOIN  COLLEGE,  ME., 

AND 

BENJAMIN  S.  WALCOTT,  ESQ.,  AND  LADY  OF  NEW  YORK  MILLS,  N.  Y., 
THIS  MEMENTO 
OF  OUR  HAPPY  VOYAGE  UPON  THE  NILE 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


In  the  month  of  January,  1853,  I found  myself  afloat 
upon  the  Nile.  Six  months  before,  I had  left  New 
York  in  the  uncertainty  of  pulmonary  disease,  to  try  the 
benefit  of  a year  of  travel  in  more  genial  climes.  The 
balmy  air  of  Egypt  brought  healing  to  my  lungs,  and 
with  this  came  an  almost  boyish  gush  of  life;  so  that  in 
the  soul,  as  irt  the  outer  world,  it  was  the  “ Season  of 
Vegetation”  after  the  “Season  of  the  Waters;”  For 
three  months  the  light  of  each  “morning  without  clouds” 
pictured  in  the  mind  the  scenery  of  the  Nile,  the  passing 
scenes  of  Egyptian  life,  and  the  lingering  monuments  of 
Egyptian  history,  in  lines  that  can  never  be  effaced;  and 
in  the  abundant  leisure  of  boat  life,  these  views  were 
transferred  from  the  mind  to  paper.  Each  view  was 
taken  by  the  light  which  itself  threw  upon  the  mind ; — ■ 
j photographed  by  the  outward  upon  the  inward,  and  again 
transferred  from  the  inward  to  the  outward.  These 
impressions,  as  taken  at  the  time,  were  laid  by  for  future 
reference.  A few  have  been  exhibited  to  friends  in 
public  journals  and  in  lectures ; and  now  the  whole  are 
bound  together  in  this  volume,  for  whoever  cares  to  look 

A* 


VI 


PREFACE. 


at  life  pictures  of  a distant  land.  If  the  picture  is  gay 
or  grotesque,  it  is  because  the  reality  was  gay  or  gro- 
tesque ; if  the  picture  is  sombre,  it  is  because  the  reality 
was  sombre.  If  in  turning  over  these  leaves,  any  shall 
find  innocent  amusement  for  a passing  hour,  the  humble 
copyist  of  nature  will  be  glad  of  such  a measure  of  suc- 
cess in  transferring  her  mirthful  phases ; — if  any  shall 
be  saddened  by  these  life  pictures  — why  he  too  was  often 
sad  at  seeing  under  the  sunniest  sky,  deeper  shadows  than 
clouds  can  throw ; if  any  shall  find  instruction  in  the 
pictures,  he  will  be  thankful  that  he  did  not  see  and 
study  Egypt  for  himself  alone.  For  this,  his  first  attempt 
in  the  photography  of  nature,  of  history,  and  of  human 
life,  his  only  claim  is  that  the  pictures  are  faithful;  — 
taken  as  they  were,  and  given  as  they  were  taken. 

The  ,Illustrations  of  this  volume  are  copied  chiefly 
from  the  works  of  Bartlett  and  Lane,  which,  in  this  _ 
respect,  are  the  common  plunder  of  American  authors. 

As  the  author  knows  nothing  of  the  Arabic  language,  he 
has  been  perplexed  with  the  orthography  of  Arabic  words, 
in  which  authorities  differ.  The  following  are  examples  of 
diverse  spellings  : Tarbouch , tarboosh  ; Cawass,  cavasse  ; 
Hawagee , Ilowadji  ; Janissary , Janizary  ; Chibouque ,'  she- 
book  ; Backshish , bucksheesh  ; Mameluke , Memlook  ; Amrou , 
Amer,  Amr ; Sheik , sheikh , shekh.  In  either  mode  the 
English  .sound  is  but  an  approximation  to  the  Arabic. 

In  English  orthography  the  author  is  a pertinacious 
disciple  of  Webster,  but  he  has  yielded  throughout  to 
the  printer’s  use  of  Worcester. 


PREFACE. 


Vll 


The  author  feels  indebted  to  the  printers  for  their 
extremely  careful  reading  of  the  proofs.  If  errors  are 
still  found,  the  reader  will  excuse  them  when  he  thinks 
of  the  difficulties  of  revising  proofs  from  stereotype  plates, 
at  a distance  of  three  hundred  miles  from  the  office. 

New  York,  May,  1854. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE 

First  Impressions  — Alexandria,  Ancient  and  Modern  . 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

Preparations  for  the  Voyage — Donkeys  — Cooks  — Mar- 
keting   17 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Embarkation  — Maiimoodeeh  Canal  — The  Nile  . . 26 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Nile  Comforts  — A Nile  Boat  and  Crew  ....  32 

CHAPTER  V. 

Navigation  — V illages  — Bazaar  — Houses  — Children  . 45 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Occupations  of  the  People  — Water  Jars  — Productions  — 

Tillage  — The  Shadoof  and  the  Sakia  ....  54 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Tenure  of  Land  — Disposition  and  Manners  of  the  People  64 
CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Desert  and  the  Railroad 70 

CHAPTER  IX. 

“Cairo  the  Magnificent” .74 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Scenery  of  the  Nile  — Day  and  Night 82 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Minieh  — A Sugar  Factory  — Visit  to  a Bey  ....  90 

CHAPTER  XII. 

River  Saints,  and  Coptic  Hermits 96 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Sabbath  on  the  Nile  — A Missionary  Incident  . . . 100 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Marriage  and  Mourning  ........  112 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Orientalizing — A Village  Coffee  House  ....  115 
CHAPTER  XVI. 

Crocodiles  . 122 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Denderaii  — Keneh  — A Human  Heart 125 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Trees  and  Birds 132 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Nkgadeh  — Salutations  — A Coptic  Church  ....  137 
CHAPTER  XX. 

Mother’  Egypt  — Thebes — Temples  and  Monuments — The 

Nineteenth  Century 143 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Memnon  still  Sounds 152 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Fragments  of  Theban  History  — Sources  — Rosetta  Stone  — 


Hieroglyphics  — Antiquities  158 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Chronology  of  the  Bible 177 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

History  continued  — Correspondences  with  the  Bible  . 18^ 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Recent  Discoveries  at  Thebes  — Memorials  of  Early  Chris- 
tianity   190 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  Tombs  of  Tiiebes  — Manners  and  Customs  of  the 


Ancient  Egyptians  . . 197 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Gods  of  the  Egyptians  — Doctrine  of  Immortality  . . 210 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Dissolving  Views  •»-  Panorama  of  Karnac  ....  218 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A Chapter  of  Items  — Parting  from  Thebes  — Getting 

News  — The  Sirocco  — Emigration  — Inauguration  Day  231 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Girgeh  and  Abydos  — Fertility  and  Desolation  . . 211 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Italians  and  Copts 247 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Osioot,  or  Wolf-town  — The  Old  and  the  New  — A Modern 

Cemetery  — Soldier  Making — John  the  Hermit  . . 253 


xii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

Antiquity  of  Art  and  Science — True  Antiquity  of  Egypt  263 

CHAPTER  XXXIY. 

Climate  of  the  Nile  — A Chapter  for  Invalids  . . . 274 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Cairo  again  — Shoobra  — Rhoda  — Old  Cairo  — The  Der- 
wishes  283 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Mohammedanism  — Mosques  and  Prayers  ....  289 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

Mohammedan  Infidels  — Prospects  of  Evangelization  — 
Toleration 298 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

Early  Christianity  in  Egypt  — Persecutions  and  Tri- 
umphs— Destruction  of  Idolatry 308 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Hope  for  Egypt  — The  Copts,  their  History  and  Ritual  — 

A Plea  for  Missions 323 

CHAPTER  XL. 

Heliopolis,  the  City  of  Joseph  — The  Pyramids  and  Sphinx  — 
Egypt  a Sepulchre 338 


APPENDIX 347 

Religious  Chant 347 

Table  of  Egyptian  Dynasties,  by  Lepsius  . . . 348 

« “ “ “ “ Poole  . . .355 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PKESENT 


CHAPTER  I. 

FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND 

MODERN. 

The  sun  rose  gloriously  over  the  ancient  Pharos,  and 
shone  into  the  very  eye  of  our  steamer  as  she  hovered 
about  the  harbor  awaiting  her  pilot ; a sun  that  had  already 
wakened  Memnon  to  his  daily  music,  and  had  kissed  the 
pyramids  upon  its  way  to  greet  the  bounding,  laughing  sea. 
The  gates  of  the  Orient  opened  wide  before  us  upon  hinges 
of  gold  and  amber  and  rubies.  Sea-sickness  and  the  dis- 
comforts of  the  voyage  were  in  a moment  forgotten,  and  I 
felt  that  I would  again  travel  six  thousand  miles  to  stand 
where  I then  stood. 

And  this  is  Egypt ! That  just  expiring  light  marks  the 
site  of  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world  — the  first 
great  light-house  that  illumined  the  Mediterranean,  when 
Greece  and  Rome  began  to  share  the  commerce  of  the 
Orient ; and  within  that  rocky  headland  which  guards  so 
well  the  approach  to  the  long,  narrow,  egg-shaped  harbor,  — 
all  along  that  level  shore,  now  studded  with  windmills 
above,  and  crowded  with  catacombs  beneath,  — lies  the  city 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  I look  upon  the  land  that  in  the 
time  of  Moses  was  in  its  prime,  and  that  has  been  old  and 
X 


2 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


decaying  through  all  the  growth  and  history  of  the  present 
living  world. 

At  this  moment  a small  boat,  propelled  by  eight  or  ten 
barelegged  rowers  in  smocks  and  turbans,  comes  along-side, 
and  two  pilots  mount  the  gangway  and  take  their  station  on 
the  wheelbox.  They  are  barelegged  like  the  rest,  but  they 
wear  leathern  sandals,  and  their  turbans  are  of  a better 
quality,  and  their  smocks  are  girdled  about  the  waist  with  a 
white  cord ; on  the  whole  they  make  a very  neat  appear- 
ance. They  seem  deeply  impressed  with  the  magnitude 
of  their  office,  and  hold  grave  consultations  together,  the 
result  of  which  is  signified  by  sundry  motions  of  the  hand 
to  the  steersman,  accompanied  with*  a spasmodic  guttural 
jargon ; — for  the  familiar  “ Port  ” and  “ Steady  ” are  now 
uttered  in  Arabic  to  a French  officer,  and  by  him  translated 
to  the  man  at  the  wheel.  Altogether  it  is  quite  a pic- 
turesque affair  — these  two  Arabs  with  their  unshorn  beards, 
their  heads  wrapped  about  with  huge  white  folds  crowned 
with  green  and  crimson,  their  bodies  cased  in  a single  loose 
frock  descending  to  the  knees,  and  their  naked  bronze  calves 
terminating  in  light-colored  sandals  without  string  or  buckle, 
standing  in  the  eye  of  old  Pharos,  and  guiding  into  the  port 
of  Alexander,  a steamer  bearing  his  name,  manned  and 
freighted  by  the  “ barbaric  Gaul.” 

It  would  require  twro  pilots,  one  would  think,  if  not 
twenty,  to  steer  a vessel  through  all  the  twists  and  turnings 
of  this  channel,  where  the  waves  are  dashing  over  rocks  at 
every  twenty  rods ; and  one  can  accord  something  to  the 
self-complacent  air  with  which  our  two  turbaned  worthies 
slowly  descend  to  the  deck  after  the  signal  to  let  go  the 
anchors.  But  what  a din  comes  up  on  all  sides  from  the 
small  boats  by  which  we  must  be  conveyed  ashore ! At 
least  twenty  of  these  boats  with  their  motley  crews,  are 
crowding  about  the  larboard  side  of  the  steamer,  jostling 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


3 


each  other  and  struggling  for  the  nearest  place.  In  some 
the  crews  are  half  naked  ; in  others  decently  dressed ; but 
everywhere  the  bare  legs,  the  single  smock,  and  in  lieu 
of  the  turban  the  tarbouch  — a close-fitting  red  Fez  * cap, 
with  a black  silk  tassel.  Now  and  then  a turbaned  head, 
surmounting  a white  frock  and  a pair  of  loose  frilled 
trowsers  of  the  same  material,  indicates  some  superiority  in 
the  wearer,  who  sits  leisurely  smoking  his  pipe  in  the  midst 
of  the  confusion.  Indeed  it  is  one  of  the  comicalities  of  the 
scene,  that  a fellow  standing  on  the  prow  of  his  boat  and 
gouging  his  neighbor  into  the  water  in  order  to  make  his 
own  boat  fast  to  the  gangway,  wall  stop  in  the  very  act  to 
take  a whiff  of  the  tobacco  which  he  is  smoking  through  a 
curled  paper.  Nobody  can  come  on  board,  nobody  can  go 
ashore,  till  the  health  officer  has  gone  through  with  his 
formalities,  nor  till  the  mail  has  been  despatched  in  a ship’s 
boat  under  the  French  flag.  Just  here,  two  brawny  French 
sailors  pitch  headlong  down  the  gangway  a troop  of  Arab 
boatmen  who  were  climbing  up  on  deck,  and  the  mate 
dashes  over  their  heads  a bucket  of  cold  water. 

Through  the  energy  of  our  courier  we  are  the  first  to  put 
off  from  the  ship,  which  is  anchored  about  a third  of  a mile 
from  the  shore ; for  here,  as  at  almost  every  port  of  the 
Mediterranean,  the  whole  business  of  receiving  and  of 
landing  passengers  and  freight,  is  done  by  means  of  small 
boats.  The  harbor  is  filled  with  vessels  of  every  European 
nation,  but  the  American  flag  is  not  represented;  there 
being  almost  no  direct  commerce  between  Egypt  and  the 
United  States.  Some  noble  men-of-war,  from  seventy-four 

* Fez , so  called  from  the  place  of  its  manufacture,  Fez,  a principal  city 
of  Morocco,  celebrated  for  the  manufacture  of  milled  woollen  fabrics. 
This  is  the  headdress  of  soldiers  and  sailors,  and  of  the  common  people. 
It  is  worn  also  by  the  Sultan  at  Constantinople.  It  is  gradually  super- 
seding the  turban. 


4 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


guns  upward,  and  one  or  two  war  steamers,  assert  the 
dominion  of  the  Crescent  over  the  kingdom  of  the  Pharaohs. 
A few  old  dismantled  hulks  are  lying  in  the  great  dockyard 
near  the  palace,  and  immense  piles  of  timber  are  stored 
there  for  future  use.  Every  thing  looks  substantial  and 
respectable.  Even  our  own  steamer,  that  just  now  tumbled 
about  like  a cockle-shell,  has  put  on  a calm  and  dignified  air 
in  harmony  with  the  surrounding  scene;  — I'  mean  the  scene 
in  the  harbor,  for  there  is  not  much  of  calmness  or  dignity 
here  at  the  quay  where  we  have  now  arrived. 

What  a confusion  of  tongues  ! Arabic,  French,  Maltese, 
Italian,  and  broken  English,  all  rush  upon  the  ear  at  the 
same  instant,  while  the  language  of  signs  expresses  still 
more  emphatically  than  words  the  one  idea  upon  every 
tongue ; — “ Good  donkey,  sir,”  “ Want  ver  fine  donkey,” 
“ Donkey  for  hotel,  good,  English  ride  my  donkey,  ver 
good.”  About  fifty  of  these  little  creatures  are  huddled 
together  on  the  dock,  unmoved  by  the  clamor  of  their 
drivers  or  the  punching  of  their  sticks,  while  all  around  lazy 
lumbering  camels  are  sprawling  in  the  mud,  or  reaching  out 
their  gaunt  ungainly  necks  as  they  deliver  their  loads  of  hay 
or  of  water-skins.  We  happily  avoid  this  turmoil  by  steering 
for  the  far  side  of  a stone  wall  that  divides  the  dock,  — but 
from . Scylla  we  escape  into  the  jaws  of  Charybdis,  for  here 
the  custom-house  Cawasses  await  us  to  see  if  gentlemen 
professedly  bound  for  Upper  Egypt  on  a travelling  excur- 
sion, are  in  reality  smuggling  contraband  goods  in  their 
carpet-bags  or  portmanteaus;  — into  the  jaws,  of  a truth, 
for  nothing  wags  so  briskly  in  Egypt,  not  even  a donkey’s 
tail,  j-erked  every  way  by  its  driver,  as  does  that  member 
of  an  Arab’s  frame.  However,  as  in  Sardinia  the  franc, 
and  in  Tuscany  and  Rome  the  paul,  and  in  Naples  the 
carline,  so  here  the  piastre  soon  settles  the  question,  and  our 
baggage  passes  without  even  a showing  of  the  keys.  But 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


5 


this  is  not  the  end  of  it.  The  custom-house  is  just  without 
the  precincts  of  the  city,  and  as  we  enter  the  gate  another 
official  rushes  out  and  seizes  the  horses  by  the  head,  and 
insists  upon  inspecting  the  baskets,  bundles,  carpet-bags,  etc., 
that  by  permission  of  the  first  set  of  officials  and  in  con- 
sideration of  one  dollar,  we  have  taken  with  us.  After  a 
long  altercation  in  Arabic  between  the  officers  and  the 
driver,  the  former  take  a survey  of  the  exterior  of  each 
bag,  judge  by  feeling  of  its  probable  contents,  and  permit 
us  to  proceed.  This  fairly  over,  a short  ride  brings  us  to 
the  Hotel  de  V Europe,  where  a prisoner  of  the  sea  who  has 
not  eaten  a meal  for  four  days  must  be  allowed  to  do  justice 
to  a well  spread  breakfast.  This  hotel,  kept  by  an  Italian, 
is  quite  unpromising,  even  shabby  in  external  appear- 
ance and  in  its  general  furniture ; but  its  table-d'hote  affords 
good  living  at  about  $2.50  a day.  It  is  reputed  to  be  the 
best,  and  is  situated  upon  the  large  parallelogram  called  the 
Frank  square,  where  are  most  of  the  European  shops  and 
offices.  With  the  thermometer  at  seventy,  and  an  abun- 
dance of  flies  and  mosquitoes,  it  is  hard  to  realize  that  the 
true  date  is  January  11th. 

But  with  the  ever-recurring  thought  that  we  were  in 
Egypt,  we  could  not  long  remain  shut  up  in  an  Italian  hotel, 
overlooking  a modern  square  surrounded  with  houses  in  the 
Frank  style,  and  with  shops  displaying  English  cottons  and 
French  perfumery,  and  covered  with  French,  Greek,  Italian, 
and  English  signs.  We  must  somewhere  find  the  dreamy 
Orient.  After  a hasty  but  hearty  breakfast,  we  set  out  on 
foot  to  visit  the  Mahmoodeeh  canal,  at  a distance  of  a mile 
from  our  quarters,  there  to  inspect  the  boats  for  the  Nile. 
Our  road  lay  through  the  principal  streets  to  the  gate  of  the 
Necropolis.  Immediately  without  this  gate  we  came  for 
the  first  time  upon  a truly  oriental  scene.  Upon  a large 
open  area,  camels,  sheep,  and  buffalo  oxen  were  reposing, 
1* 


6 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


while  their  owners  were  chaffering,  pipe  in  hand ; a caravan 
of  camels,  laden  with  merchandise  of  various  sorts,  was 
entering  the  gate  ; the  tall  palm  tree  lifted  its  spreading  top . 
toward  the  noonday  sun,  while  groves  of  acacias  lining  the 
roads,  offered  their  cooling  shade ; on  a neighboring  mound 
stood  a solitary  Arab,  his  gaunt  figure  and  turbaned  head  in 
bold  relief  against  the  sky ; the  diminutive  donkey,  urged 
forward  by  his  driver’s  prong,  went  nimbly  by ; a score 
of  wolfish  dogs  barked  and  howled  at  the  approach  of 
strangers  ; but  above  their  clamor  were  heard  the  myriad 
voices  of  birds,  whose  freedom  had  never  been  invaded  by 
the  sportsman,  and  whose  song  was  in  harmony  with  the 
delicious  air  and  the  gorgeous  drapery  in  which  all  nature 
was  enwrapped ; — to  complete  the  picture,  the  minaret  that 
overlooks  the  bazaar,  loomed  in  the  distance,  and  immedi- 
ately before  us  Pompey’s  Pillar  reared  its  stupendous  mass 
of  polished  granite,  in  solitary  grandeur  — a monument  of 
buried  empires,  a sentinel  over  recent  tombs. 

This  pillar  is  the  one  solitary  monument  of  the  old  city 
upon  its  southern  front,  and  answers  to  the  one  standing 
obelisk  that  is  its  solitary  monument  on  the  north.  Of  its 
origin  history  is  as  silent  as  the  mummy  of  Belzoni’s  tomb  ; 
but  there  is  no  doubt  that  “ Pompey’s  Pillar  is  really  a 
misnomer ; ” for  the  inscription  “ shows  it  to  have  been 
erected  by  Publius,  the  prcefect  of  Egypt,  in  honor  of  Dio- 
cletian,” * who  subdued  a revolt  at  Alexandria  by  capturing 
the  city,  a.  d.  296.  But  whether  it  was  then  first  hewn 
from  the  quarry,  or  was  transported  from  some  decaying 
temple  up  the  Nile,  the  Greek  lettering  does  not  inform  us. 
If  the  latter,  — which,  considering  the  decline  of  art  and 
the  pilfering  propensities  of  the  Romans,  is  probable  — 
then  this  now  lonely  sentinel,  an  Egyptian  column  with  a 


* "Wilkinson,  who  first  deciphered  it. 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


7 


Greek  inscription  to  a Roman  emperor,  has  witnessed  in 
turn  the  decay  of  Egypt,  of  Greece,  and  of  Rome,  upon 
the  soil  where  it  still  disputes  with  Time  the  empire  of  the 
Past. 

To  the  reader  of  Gibbon,  it  may  seem  strange  that  a 
monument  should  have  been  reared  at  Alexandria  in  honor 
of  a conqueror,  who,  during  a siege  of  eight  months,  wasted 
the  city  by  the  sword  and  by  fire,  and  who,  when  it  finally 
capitulated  and  implored  his  clemency,  caused  it  to  feel  “ the 
full  extent  of  his  severity,”  and  destroyed  “ thousands  of  its 
citizens  in  a promiscuous  slaughter.”  The  fact  may  serve 
to  show  the  worthlessness  of  such  monuments  as  testimonials 
to  character,  or  as  expressions  of  public  esteem. 

But  whatever  may  be  its  history  or  its  associations,  one 
cannot  look  upon  this  column  without  a feeling  of  astonish- 
ment and  awe.  Outside  of  the  modern  city  walls  and  some 
six  hundred  yards  to  the  south  of  them,  away  from  the 
present  homes  of  men,  but  on  an  eminence  that  overlooks 
the  entire  city,  and  in  striking  contrast  with  the  meagre, 
attenuated  style  of  its  present  architecture,  stands  this 
stupendous  column  of  red  granite,  ninety-nine  feet  in  height 
by  thirty  in  circumference,  its  shaft  an  elegant  monolith 
measuring  seventy-three  feet  between  the  pedestal  and  the 
capital.  It  marks  the  site  of  an  ancient  stadium,  and  as 
some  conjecture,  of  the  gymnasium , which  was  surrounded 
with  majestic  porticos  of  granite.  Now  it  looks  down  upon 
the  rude  and  garish  cemetery  of  the  Mohammedans,  whose 
plastered  tombs  glaring  in  the  sun,  crowd  around  its  dis- 
mantled base. 

As  we  slowly  sauntered  away,  the  gorgeous  memories 
of  the  past  were  broken  by  the  mourning  scenes  of  the 
present.  Two  funeral  processions  approached  the  pillar  on 
their  way  to  the  burial-ground.  First  came  a group  of  about 
twenty  boys,  ragged,  barefoot,  and  bareheaded,  chanting  a 


8 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


wailing  strain ; then  followed  twice  as  many  men,  walking 
two  or  four  abreast,  and  uttering  the  same  monotonous 
wail ; these  were  mostly  clothed  in  turbans,  long  frocks,  and 
trowsers,  and  wore  a venerable  appearance.  I noticed  in 
particular  several  blind  men  — so  common  in  the  East  — 
led  by  the  hand  and  supported  by  their  staves ; next  came 
the  bier  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  four  men,  the  body 
wrapped  in  a white  cloth  and  covered  with  a shawl,  — the 
turban  lay  on  top  to  indicate  that  the  deceased  was  a male ; 
after  this,  straggling  at  intervals,  came  a few  women,  clothed 
in  the  long  white  veil,  covering  the  face  with  the  exception 
of  the  eyes  and  reaching  to  the  ankles  ; these  uttered  a 
different  cry — a piercing  shriek  or  a sustained  waving  howl 
that  blended  fearfully  with  the  wailing  of  the  men.  The 
custom  here  is  to  bury  on  the  day  of  death ; no  coffin  is 
used,  but  a grave  is  dug  and  the  body,  wrapped  only  in  a 
cloth,  is  put  into  it;  the  grave  is  then  covered  with  an 
arched  stone  laid  in  cement.  The  graveyard  presents  the 
singular  appearance  of  a field  of  low  stone  mounds. 

The  second  procession  consisted  only  of  about  twenty 
persons,  in  the  centre  of  whom  was  a man  who  carried  in 
his  arms  a dead  child  wrapped  in  a shawl,  of  which  it  would 
be  divested  at  the  grave,  leaving  only  a light  covering  of 
cloth. 

From  Pompey’s  Pillar  to  Cleopatra’s  Needles  is  a distance 
of  more  than  a mile  through  the  city  in  a north-easterly 
direction.  These  obelisks  have  no  more  relation  to  Cleopa- 
tra than  the  pillar  has  to  Pompey.  Their  hieroglyphics 
date  as  far  back  as  the  Exodus,*  and  they  were  brought  to 
Alexandria  from  the  city  of  Helfopolis  or  On , about  a 
hundred  miles  to  the  south.  Each  pillar  is  a single  block 
of  red’  granite,  about  seventy  feet  high  and  nearly  eight  feet 

* Thothmes  ILL  Wilkinson  and  Lepsius. 


CLEOPATRA’S  NEEDLE. 


* 


/ . 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


9 


in  diameter  at  tlie  base.  How  such  huge  blocks  were  cut 
from  the  quarry,  transported  hundreds  of  miles,  and  erected 
upon  their  pedestals,  i§  a mystery  not  solved  by  any  thing 
yet  discovered  of  ancient  mechanic  arts.  But  one  of  the 
obelisks  is  standing.  The  other  was  taken  down  to  be 
transported  to  England,  but  now  lies  half  buried  in  the  mud 
and  sand.  On  one  side  of  the  standing  obelisk  the  hieroglyph- 
ics are  distinctly  legible,  but  on  the  northern  or  seaward 
side  they  are  much  defaced  by  the  action  of  the  weather. 
It  stands  upon  the  edge  of  the  Great  Harbor,  in  a line  with 
the  rock  of  Pharos  that  forms  the  extreme  northern  point 
of  the  horseshoe  port. 

Besides  the  Pillar  and  the  Needles  nothing  remains  to 
testify  the  former  splendor  of  Alexandria  ; — a capital  that 
once  vied  with  Borne,  containing  a population  equal  to  that 
of  New  York,  (three  hundred  thousand  freemen  and  as 
many  slaves,)  and  that  so  late  as  the  seventh  century,  accord- 
ing to  the  testimony  of  Amrou,  its'  Saracenic  conqueror, 
contained  “ four  thousand  palaces,  four  thousand  baths, 
four  hundred  theatres,  twelve  thousand  shops  for  the  sale 
of  vegetables,  and  forty  thousand  tributary  Jews.”  A few 
ruins  are  pointed  out,  but  these  are  fast  disappearing  with 
the  ravages  of  time.  Its  name  is  the  only  memorial  of  its 
founder ; and  the  long  range  of  catacombs  along  the  shore 
to  the  west  of  the  city,  the  sole  vestige  of  its  ancient  popu- 
lation. The  sagacity  of  Alexander  is  apparent  in  the  site 
of  the  city,  which  with  its  safe  and  commodiou?  harbor  on 
the  Mediterranean,  and  its  ample  harbor  on  the  lake  Mareo- 
tis,  on  the  south,  then  fed  by  canals  from  the  Nile,  monopo- 
lized the  rising  commerce  of  Europe,  as  well  as  that  of 
Ethiopia,  Arabia,  and~  the  Indies.  The  convenient  fiction 
of  a dream  sufficed  to  impart_to  his  sagacity  the  reputation 
of  a divine  prescience. 

So  rapid  was  the  growth  of  the  city,  that  at  the  com- 


10 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


mencement  of  the  Christian  era,  it  was  “ second  only  to 
Rome  itself,”  and  “ comprehended  a circumference  of  fifteen 
miles  ” within  its  walls.  It  was  a great  seat  of  commerce. 
“ Idleness  was  unknown.  Either  sex,  and  every  age,  was 
engaged  in  the  pursuits  of  industry;” — the  blowing  of  glass, 
the  weaving  of  linen,  manufacturing  the  papyrus,  or  con- 
ducting the  lucrative  trade  of  the  port.*  Alexander,  fresh 
from  the  conquest  of  Tyre,  boasted  that  he  would  here  build 
an  emporium  of  commerce  surpassing  that  which  he  had 
ruined,  and  thus  would  recreate  in  his  own  image  the  world 
he  had  destroyed.  The  site  of  Alexandria,  more  felicitous 
than  that  of  Tyre,  promised  to  realize  his  ambitious  dream. 
Its  gates  w looked  out  on  the  gilded  barges  of  the  Nile,  on 
fleets  at  sea  under  full  sail,  on  a harbor  that  sheltered 
navies,  and  a light-house  that  was  the  mariner’s  star,  and 
the  wonder  of  the  world.”  f 

But  neither  the  felicity  of  its  location,  nor  the  enterprise 
of  its  Ptolemaic  rulers,  nor  the  wealth  of  its  commerce,  nor 
the  learning  that  gathered  to  its  schools  the  students  of  art, 
of  philosophy,  of  medicine,  of  science,  and  of  religion,  could 
withstand  the  march  of  empire  from  Asia  to  Europe,  nor 
the  laws  of  trade  that  followed  in  its  track. 

It  was  the  ambition  of  Mohammed  Ali  to  restore  Alexan- 
dria to  its  ancient  rank  as  a seaport,  and  to  make  it  the  real 
capital  of  Egypt  For  this  purpose  he  dug  a canal  to 
connect  it  with  the  Nile,  thus  reopening  the  communication 
that  the  stftids  of  the  desert  had  filled  up  ; through  the  old 
buildings  and  the  rubbish  of  centuries,  he  opened  new 
streets,  making  them  straight,  wide,  and  rectangular,  after 
the  manner  of  modern  European  cities  ; he  encouraged  the 
building  of  a railroad  from  Alexandria  to  Cairo ; he  made 
improvements  in  the  modern  harbor,  which  lies  to  the  west 


* Gibbon. 


t Campbell. 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN.  11 

of  the  ancient  port,  — the  island  of  Pharos,  now  annexed 
to  the  main  land,  jutting  as  a promontory  between  the 
old  and  the  new,  and  still  serving  as  a landmark  to  the 
inariner. 

But  the  improvements  of  Mohammed  Ali  were  made  by 
the  force  of  one  despotic  will,  and  not  by  the  intelligent 
progress  of  the  people  ; and  though  they  have  restored  to 
Alexandria  something  of  its  former  commercial  activity, 
many  years  must  elapse  before  their  benefits  will  be  fully 
realized  by  the  sluggish  natives. 

The  present  population  of  Alexandria  is  somewhat  less 
than  one  hundred  thousand,  — a mixture  of  all  African  and 
oriental  races,  with  many  Europeans,  though  the  Jews  have 
dwindled  to  about  a thousand,  where  they  once  counted  a 
hundred  times  that  number,  and  where  the  Seventy  made 
the  Greek  version  of  the  Old  Testament  at  the  time  when 
“ salvation  was  of  the  Jews.”  Both  they  and  their  former 
oppressors  are  in  the  lowest  degradation.  In  the  city  where 
the  eloquent  Apollos  was  born,  and  where  the  learned  and 
astute  Athanasius  conducted  his  theological  controversies, 
where  Theodosius  by  imperial  edict  destroyed  the  temple 
of  Serapis,  and  publicly  inaugurated  Christianity  in  place 
of  the  outcast  divinities  of  the  Egyptian  Greeks, — Chris- 
tianity is  now  represented  by  a Greek  church,  a Roman 
Catholic  church,  and  a chapel  pertaining  to  the  Church  of 
England.  A beautiful  edifice  for  the  latter  is  building  upon 
the  Frank  Square,  in  the  Romanesque  style,  which  I should 
be  glad  to  see  more  generally  copied  in  the  United  States,  in 
preference  to  the  Gothic. 

In  roaming  the  narrow  and  dirty  streets  of  the  modern 
city,  now  occupied  with  a motley  and  poverty-stricken  popu- 
lation, in  traversing  the  villages  of  hovels  within  the  walls, 
where  the  Arab  lies  down  with  his  sheep,  his  goat,  his  dog, 
and  his  donkey,  in  a mud  inclosure  of  a few  feet  square 


12 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


which  must  be  entered  by  stooping,  and  in  climbing  the 
huge  mounds,  in  part  overgrown  with  date-palms,  that  are 
said  to  cover  the  ancient  capital,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that 
here  was  a school  to  which  the  sages  of  Greece  resorted  for 
instruction  in  philosophy,  in  science,  and  in  letters,  and 
where  Jewish  Rabbis  and  Christian  apologists  vied  with 
Greek  dialecticians  in  the  various  pursuits  of  learning  ; and 
that  here  was  a library  of  seven  hundred  thousand  manu- 
script volumes, — a British  Museum  or  a Smithsonian  Insti- 
tute boasting  the  originals  or  the  duplicates  of  many  of  the 
most  valuable  works  of  the  then  current  literature,  — and 
which,  after  the  accidental  destruction  of  a part  of  it  in  the 
insurrection  against  Julius  Caesar,  and  the  wilful  destruction 
of  another  portion  in  the  sanguinary  religious  wars  under 
Theodosius,  yet  contained  enough  of  written  papyrus  to 
heat  for  six  months  the  four  thousand  baths  of  the  city, 
under  the  summary  decree  of  Omar; — “If  these  writings 
of  the  Greeks  agree  with  the  book  of  God,  they  are  use- 
less, and  need  not  be  preserved ; if  they  disagree,  they  are 
pernicious,  and  ought  to  be  destroyed.”  It  is  difficult  amid 
such  surroundings,  to  realize  that  here  Caesar  and  Antony 
dallied  with  the  charms  of  Cleopatra.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  that  where  now  bigotry,  fanaticism,  and  superstition 
hold  sway  over  an  ignorant  and  degraded  people,  were 
schools  of  theology,  and  learned  fathers,  and  astute  contro- 
versialists of  the  early  Christian  church  ; that  here  Chris- 
tianity triumphed  over  Paganism  in  popular  tumults  backed 
by  imperial  decrees ; that  here  Mark  preached  the  gospel 
of  the  kingdom  where  the  Ethiopian  eunuch  had  preceded 
him  with  the  tidings  of  the  great  salvation. 

And  yet>  that  old  Alexandria,  which  began  to  be  in  the 
fourth  century  before  Christ,  and  of  all  whose  palaces  and 
temples  and  monuments  only  two  columns  are  now  standing, 
was  the  youngest  of  Egyptian  cities,  and  was  built  by  the 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


13 


conqueror  of  Egypt  when  Thebes,  and  Memphis,  and  the 
university  city  of  Heliopolis,  were  already  in  their  decline. 
Such  is  the  antiquity  that  meets  us  at  the  threshold  of  the 
land  of  the  Nile. 

The  most  interesting  modern  building  in  Alexandria, 
indeed  the  only  one  worthy  of  notice,  is  the  palace  of  Mo- 
hammed Ali.  This  stands  upon  the  old  Pharos,  now  united, 
as  I have  already  said,  to  the  main  land  by  a causeway. 
The  exterior  of  the  palace  has  no  architectural  pretension, 
but  in  the  style  and  furniture  of  the  interior  it  is  a model 
of  simple  elegance,  surpassing  the  palaces  of  England,  of 
France,  and  of  Italy,  in  true  richness  and  taste.  It  com- 
bines the  best  points  of  the  oriental  and  the  occidental  styles. 
Instead  of  walls  all  bedizened  with  gold  leaf,  and  tawdry 
mirrors  and  pictures  such  as  one  sees  at  Windsor,  here  are 
walls  covered  with  the  richest  silk,  of  subdued  color  and 
tasteful  patterns,  and  ceilings  of  a hard  and  beautiful  finish, 
unbedecked  with  gaudy  and  indecent  frescoes ; floors  of 
polished  wood,  inlaid,  or  exhibiting  the  grain  in  beautiful 
combinations,  tables  of  rich  mosaic,  every  thing  in  keeping. 
We  all  pronounced  it  the  most  beautiful  palace  we  had  seen. 
The  balcony  commands  a fine  view  of  the  harbor — just  such 
a view  as  enchanted  Alexander  and  determined  him  here  to 
found  a city,  — and  the  garden  affords  a choice  collection 
of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  is  enlivened  by  a multitude  of 
songsters  of  every  hue.  As  the  present  Pasha  resides  at 
Cairo,  this  palaee  is  only  used  occasionally  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  a passing  Pasha. 

A view  of  Alexandria  would  be  incomplete  without  a visit 
to  the  slave  market,  which  still  exists  here  in  open  day. 
The  market  is  an  inclosed  area  of  about  one  hundred  feet 
square,  with  rows  of  cells  upon  three  sides,  in  which  the 
slaves  are  kept  until  a purchaser  is  found  for  them.  They 
are  not  kept  in  close  confinement,  but  may  go  from  cell  to 
2 


14 


EGYPT,  TAST  AND  PRESENT. 


cell,  and  have  the  range  of  the  yard.  Several  are  huddled 
together  into  one  apartment,  and  eat  and  sleep  upon  the 
naked  ground.  There  were  but  a few  slaves  in  the  market, 
and  these  were  principally  women  and  children.  The 
children,  too  young  to  comprehend  their  condition,  seemed 
happy  as  children  are  everywhere,  but  the  adults  wore  an 
air  of  extreme  dejection  and  misery.  One  in  particular 
interested  me  exceedingly.  She  was  a Nubian  girl  of  about 
sixteen,  jet  black,  with  coarse  features,  and  hair  twisted  into 
coils  that  stretched  across  her  head  about  an  inch  apart,  and 
resembled  a rope  mat ; her  only  clothing  was  a piece  of  blue 
cotton  cloth  not  made  into  a garment,  which  hung  from  one 
shoulder  about  her  waist  to  her  knees ; she  was  stout  and 
hearty,  but  her  countenance  was  as  sad  as  any  I ever  looked 
upon,  and  in  her  nakedness  and  degradation  she  showed  the 
native  modesty  of  woman,  by  shrinking  from  the  presence 
of  strangers  into  the  den  allotted  to  her.  I asked  her  price, 
and  was  told  she  could  be  purchased  for  $100.  Perchance 
she  was  the  daughter  of  some  Nubian  chief  whose  misfor- 
tunes in  war  had  doomed  his  family  to  slavery ; no  doubt 
she  had  a home , however  rude,  — perhaps  father,  mother, 
brothers,  sisters  — from  which  she  had  been  torn  away  for 
ever.  Slave  hunting  is  still  carried  on  in  Nubia  and  Abys- 
sinia, and  the  slave-trade  is  still  active  upon  the  Nile.  The 
principal  market  is  Cairo.  No  Georgians  or  Circassians 
are  brought  to  Alexandria,  but  these  are  still  to  be  had  at 
Cairo.  Our  guide  informed  us,  however,  that  English  gen- 
tlemen — whom  he  supposed  us  to  be  — would  not  be 
allowed  to  see  them,  u because  English  don’t  want  to  buy.” 
Had  he  known  the  price  demanded  for  the  Edmonson  girls 
in  the  United  States,  he  might  have  thought  differently  of 
the  marketable  qualities  of  some  fair  Circassian  in  the  eyes 
of  some  Americans.  Ah,  but  to  buy  these  girls  here  and 
carry  them  to  America,  would  be  piracy  by  the  laws  of  the 


ALEXANDRIA,  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN. 


15 


United  States ; and  so  it  is  a felony  condemned  by  all 
nations,  to  steal  them  from  their  homes  and  transport  them 
to  Alexandria  or  to  Cairo  to  be  sold  ; but  if  they  could  only 
be  smuggled  into  the  slave  market  in  that  other  Alexandria, 
and  sold  to  some  lustful  planter  in  Georgia  or  Louisiana, 
or  to  some  brute  in  Arkansas,  — why,  that  is  quite  another 
matter ! But  is  not  the  slave-trade  as  much  a crime  upon 
the  Mississippi  as  upon  the  Nile  ; at  Alexandria  on  the 
Potomac  as  at  Alexandria  on  the  Mediterranean  ? It  is  a 
greater  crime  there,  where  there  is  greater  light,  and  where 
the  slavery  is  made  tenfold  worse  than  anywhere  in  the 
East.  The  respectable  and  devout  Mussulman  who  attended 
us  to  the  slave  market,  told  us  that  before  he  took  up  the 
profession  of  a dragoman,  he  used  to  buy  his  own  people  in 
Nubia  and  bring  them  to  Alexandria  for  sale.  He  had 
given  up  the  business,  not  for  moral  but  for  pecuniary 
reasons.  I did  not  see  but  his  conscience  stood  as  well  in 
the  matter  as  the  conscience  of  a certain  Presbyterian  elder, 
who  sent  his  female  servant  — a member  of  the  Baptist 
church  — to  the  slave  market  in  Alexandria  to  be  sold  to 
the  far  South.  I would  not  take  it  upon  me  to  judge  either, 
or  to  draw  the  line  between  the  Mohammedan  and  the 
Christian  ! 

Returning  from  the  market,  it  was  grateful  to  see  a 
hospital  tended  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  where  the  sick  and 
the  famishing  of  every  age  may  find  nourishment,  medicine, 
and  succor.  I noticed  some  of  the  Sisters  dressing  the  sores 
of  beggars,  and  others  ministering  to  the  necessities  of 
children.  If  they  may  do  good  in  Alexandria,  why  not  some 
Protestant  missionary  also  ? A second  Dr.  Parker,  who 
should  relieve  the  ophthalmia  here  universally  prevalent, 
might  also  open  the  eyes  of  some  spiritually  blind.  I do 
not  know,  however,  that  the  relief  of  blindness  would  be 
considered  a favor  by  a people  of  whom  multitudes  have  put 


16 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


out  their  right  eye  in  order  to  avoid  conscription  for  the 
army.  Many  too  for  the  same  reason  have  cut  off  the  fore- 
finger of  the  right  hand.  The  sight  of  sore-eyed  children 
here  is  most  distressing  ; that  of.  sore-eyed  men  and  women 
everywhere  is  as  disgusting. 

I see  not  why  Alexandria  would  not  be  a hopeful  mis- 
sionary field,  for  one  who  would  labor  quietly  among  the 
foreign  population.  Incidentally  a few  Mohammedans  might 
be  reached.  I asked  the  guide  who  showed  us  about  the 
city,  why  our  dragoman,  who  has  renounced  Mohammedan- 
ism for  Christianity,  had  not  had  his  head  taken  off ; — his 
reply  was,  “ The  governor  does  not  know,  and  nobody 
knows  ” — meaning  nobody  will  tell.  Perhaps  a silent  work 
of  grace  might  go  forward  here,  as  in  Tuscany,  even  in  face 
of  the  penalty  of  death. 


CHAPTER  II. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. DONKEYS,  COOKS, 

MARKETING. 

With  the  thermometer  at  sixty  in  the  middle  of  January, 
and  a good  mosquito-net  to  keep  off  intruders,  one  could 
have  slept  well  even  upon  an  indifferent  bed,  but  for  the 
barking  of  the  dogs,  and  the  loud  dismal  cry  of  the  police, 
who  in  challenging  each  other’s  wakefulness  contrive  to  keep 
everybody  else  awake.  But  sleep  or  no  sleep  we  must  be 
up  early  for  the  great  business  of  the  day. 

A visit  to  the  banker — usually  about  the  first  call  to  be 
made  in  every  place  — supplies  the  lack  of  a “ Broker’s 
Board  ” by  the  practical  discovery  that  exchange  and  com- 
missions are  here  from  three  to  five  per  cent.,  though 
nominally  but  one ! I never  yet  saw  a banker  who  charged 
on  paper  more  than  one  per  cent.,  and  yet  through  the 
thimble-rigging  of  piastres,  I somehow  never  get  but  about 
nineteen  pounds  sterling  on  a draft  of  twenty.  The  facility 
with  which  a pound  which  is  worth  ninety-seven  piastres  in 
the  banker’s  reckoning  on  paper,  becomes  worth  a hundred 
and  one  or  more  piastres  when  he  pays  it  over  to  you  in 
discharge  of  said  reckoning,  would  elicit  the  applause  of 
Signor  Blitz  — provided  he  were  not  the  victim.  The 
money  transaction  settled,  the  next  thing  is  to  arrange  for 
a voyage  up  the  Nile.  The  little  steamboat  of  the  Transit 
Company  will  not  leave  until  the  16th  — and  that  will  be 
the  Sabbath,  — so  we  decide  to  take  a dcihabeeh  ; and  since 
2* 


18 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


there  is  little  chance  of  a steamboat  from  Cairo  up  the  Nile, 
we  conclude  to  make  our  contract  from  Alexandria  to 
Thebes.  And  now  the  all-important  business  of  selecting  a 
boat  and  laying  in  a store  of  provisions  for  a six  weeks* 
voyage,  must  receive  immediate  attention. 

It  is  surprising  of  how  much  importance  one  becomes  in 
an  eastern  city,  if  he  has  any  business  to  transact,  or  any 
money  to  spend,  or  if  he  even  looks  as  if  he  had  either. 
If  you  step  into  the  street  you  are  instantly  surrounded  by 
donkey  boys,  each  recommending  his  own  animal,  and  abso- 
lutely thrusting  him  upon  you.  I counted  ten  right  about 
me  at  the  door  of  the  hotel,  blocking  up  the  passage  and 
even  forcing  their  way  into  the  court,  so  that  it  was  only  by 
main  strength  that  I could  get  into  the  street.  Wherever 
you  go,  a troop  of  donkeys  is  taggling  after  you.  Then  if 
you  stop  to  make  a purchase,  a score  of  persons  gather 
round  to  witness  the  whole  transaction,  watching  every 
motion,  giving  their  opinion,  and  especially  scrutinizing  the 
coin  offered  in  payment.  These  are  persons  who  have  no 
connection  with  the  seller  of  the  goods,  mere  idlers  or 
passers-by,  or  persons  looking  for  a job  in  the  way  of 
carrying  home  the  articles  purchased,  in  their  baskets  or  on 
their  heads,  or  by  directing  you  to  some  other  shop.  It  is  a 
great  evil  in  Italy,  in  Malta,  and  in  Egypt,  that  in  the  poorer 
classes  the  common  charities  and  courtesies  of  life  are 
extinguished  by  the  hope  of  gain  ; so  that  one  will  not 
answer  you  the  simplest  question,  tell  you  the  name  of  a 
street,  the  way  to  the  post-office,  to  the  bank,  to  your  hotel, 
without  teasing  you  by  actions  or  by  words  for  a reward. 
How  different  from  France,  where  the  humblest  person  will 
do  you  a favor  with  evident  satisfaction,  and  without  looking 
for  compensation!  Commend  me  to  the  French  people, 
above  any  I have  yet  seen,  for  true  kindness  of  heart  and 
inbred  politeness. 


DONKEY  AND  BOY. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 


19 


The  persistent  donkey-boys  followed  us  in  hope  of  an 
hour’s  employment  for  their  beasts,  and  as  we  found  that 
our  tour  of  inspection  would  carry  us  a mile  or  two  along 
the  canal,  we  were  no  longer  indifferent  to  their  importunity. 
My  first  attempt  at  donkey-riding  was  a decided  failure  ; the 
poor  brute’s  saddle-girth  was  not  fast,  and  no  sooner  was  my 
weight  upon  the  stirrup  than  over  went  rider,  saddle,  and 
accoutrements  into  the  mud.  Such  a fall  from  a horse  might 
have  been  of  some  consequence ; but  from  a donkey  two 
and  a half  feet  high,  it  was  as  ludicrous  as  it  was  provoking, 
especially  as  the  insignificant  creature  himself  regarded  it 
with  the  most  profound  simplicity.  It  was,  however,  a great 
event  to  the  other  donkey-boys,  who  at  once  clustered  around 
me,  crying,  “ That  bad  donkey ; here  good  donkey,  good 
saddle.”  I was  soon  astride  of  another,  and  our  cavalcade 
moved  gaily  forward.  Each  donkey  is  followed  by  a driver, 
and  obeys  his  orders  instead  of  his  rider’s.  When  you  are 
walking  or  gently  trotting,  an  unseen  thrust  of  the  driver’s 
stick  into  the  donkey’s  haunches  almost  jerks  you  from 
your  saddle  as  the  poor  beast  jumps  to  quicken  his  pace, 
and  again  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  a pull  at  his  tail  brings  him 
and  you  to  a dead  halt. 

The  natives  have  a knack  of  guiding  the  beast  with  their 
heels ; but  he  never  minds  the  bridle,  and  you  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  look  out  for  yourself,  especially  when  in  some 
narrow  or  crowded  street  he  brings  you  into  the  predicament 
into  which  Balaam’s  ass  brought  his  master.  The  pace  of  a 
donkey  is  generally  a very  pleasant  amble,  and  he  is  such  a 
patient  and  docile  little  -creature  that  he  would  make  a 
desirable  addition  to  the  sports  of  children  in  our  country 
villages. 

While  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  owner  of  a boat,  we 
sauntered  in  the  garden  of  an  English  gentleman  whose 
villa  borders  upon  the  canal,  where,  besides  the  rich  aroma 


20  EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

and  the  gauay  hues  of  flowers  of  every  clime,  the  ample 
shade  of  sycamores  and  acacias,  and  the  luscious  vista  of 
orange  groves,  we  enjoyed  the  more  familiar  vegetable 
growths  that,  excepting  in  the  season,  reminded  us  of  home. 
An  oriental  garden  such  as  this  covers  hundreds  of  acres, 
and  is  a compendium  of  the  whole  vegetable  kingdom.  At 
this  season,  tomatoes,  peas,  beans,  celery,  cabbages,  cauli- 
flowers, radishes,  turnips,  together  with  vegetables  peculiar 
to  the  country,  are  ripe  and  abundant  for  the  market. 

Having  concluded  a bargain  for  a boat,  we  had  a donkey 
race  back  to  the  hotel,  at  the  close  of  which  we  found  our- 
selves debtors  to  the  extent  of  twelve  and  a half  cents  each , 
for  animals  which  with  their  drivers  had  been  in  attendance 
upon  us  for  four  hours. 

January  12.  — The  boat  engaged,  the  next  thing  was  to 
fit  it  up  with  the  utmost  expedition.  Ours  was  furnished 
with  every  requisite  for  the  voyage  excepting  provisions ; — 
beds,  bedding,  tables,  chairs,  kitchen  utensils,  table  furniture, 
to  be  supplied  by  the  owner,  we  to  provide  our  own  cook, 
our  own  fuel,  and  our  own  food.  This  is  upon  the  whole 
the  best  arrangement  — better  than  to  take  an  unfurnished 
boat  and  have  the  trouble  and  responsibility  of  fitting  it  up 
at  short  notice,  and  better  than  to  have  your  dragoman 
provide  for  you  at  so  much  a day,  because  it  allows  you  to 
live  as  you  list.  The  first  item  was  to  engage  a cook,  and 
as  I had  been  designated  to  the  post  of  commissary-general, 
it  devolved  upon  me  to  examine  the  credentials  of  sundry 
candidates.  Our  choice  rested  upon  one  recommended  by  a 
recent  .French  traveller,  “ egalement  pour  son  exactitude,  sa 
bonne  volonte,  et  ses  talens  culinaires ■ — promptness,  good- 
nature, and  culinary  talent,  were  three  capital  qualities  in  a 
cuisinier  ; — but  I was  attracted  to  him  also  by  his  name, 
made  up  of  two  that  I hold  in  great  respect  — Ibrahim , 
Abraham,  and  Sulliman,  pronounced  Silliman ; and  if  his 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  YOYAGE. 


21 


skill  in  dietetic  chemistry  shall  prove  him  at  all  worthy 
of  his  illustrious  scientific  cognomen,  we  shall  have  every 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  our  culinary  professor.  He  is 
modest  and  respectful,  and  unlike  many  of  his  countrymen 
has  two  sound  and  very  beautiful  eyes  ! Other  things  being 
equal,  it  is  desirable  that  your  cook  should  be  “ good- 
looking,”  and  I hereby  give  our  professor  a certificate  to 
that  effect.  The  item  of  cleanliness  was  not  overlooked, 
including  an  inspection  of  the  digital  extremities.  For 
wages  we  offered  a hundred  and  fifty  piastres  — about  $7*50 
a month  ; Ibraham  wanted  two  hundred — $10.  We  com- 
promised by  engaging  him  at  the  first  sum,  with  the  promise 
of  two  pounds  sterling  if  he  should  give  satisfaction  — and 
especially  if  he  should  prove  apt  in  following  any  instruc- 
tions of  the  lady  of  our  party  — and  the  threat  of  dismissal 
at  Cairo,  if  he  should  prove  untidy  or  incompetent ; to  all 
which  Ibrahim  meekly  and  gratefully  assented.  From  that 
instant  the  culinary  professor  was  my  devoted  attendant ; 
in  all  my  purchases  he  followed  me  like  a shadow  ; looking 
reverently  into  my  eyes,  catching  every  sign,  touching  his 
hand  to  his  lips  and  to  his  forehead  ; in  short,  showing  all 
proper  regard  for  the  newly-inaugurated  Hawagee. 

The  cook  engaged,  the  dragoman  — a native  Egyptian 
who  had  been . in  the  service  of  one  of  the  party  from 
London  — accompanied  me  to  lay  in  stores.  Knowing  the 
adhesive  property  of  money  in  an  Arab’s  fingers,  we  did  not 
dare  to  trust  him  to  make  the  purchases  alone.  It  was  a 
new  responsibility  to  calculate  how  much  would  be  required 
to  sustain  a party  of  four  persons,  or  rather  six,  including 
the  dragoman  and  the  culinary  professor,  for  a six  weeks’ 
voyage.  Mutton,  fowls,  and  occasionally  milk,  eggs,  butter, 
and  vegetables,  might  from  time  to  time  be  procured  at 
villages  along  the  way ; but  groceries  and  delicacies  no- 
where except  at  Cairo,  four  days  distant.  Much  of  the 


22 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


trade  of  Alexandria  is  in  the  hands  of  French  and  Italian 
merchants  — there  are  few  English,  — and  in  dealing  with 
these  there  was  nothing  novel.  But  for  many  articles  it 
was  necessary  to  go  to  the  Egyptian  bfizaar,  a quarter  con- 
sisting of  narrow  and  dirty  streets  lined  on  both  sides  with 
little  stalls,  and  of  one  or  two  squares  where  goods  are 
displayed  in  the  open  air  by  scores  of  natives  sitting  upon 
stones  or  divans,  pipe  in  hand.  It  had  rained  hard  in  the 
morning,  as  is  usual  at  Alexandria  at  this  season,  and  the 
mud  was  of  the  consistency  of  Broadway  mud  without  the 
relief  of  a side-walk. 

Besides  the  more  substantial  and  bulky  articles,  our  list 
comprised  all  manner  of  fruits,  fresh  and  dried,  sauces, 
pickles,  and  preserves,  ham,  tongues,  etc.  etc.  To  a taste 
formed  upon  the  Philadelphia  market,  and  exercised  upon 
the  dairies  of  Orange  county,  butter  was  the  most  difficult 
article  to  be  supplied.  The  best  quality  of  butter  in  Egypt, 
as  in  Italy,  is  made  without  salt ; — this  can  be  got  at 
intervals  along  the  Nile.  A second  quality  for  cooking,  is 
made  by  melting  down  all  sorts  of  butter  to  the  consistency 
of  lard  or  of  carriage  grease.  I went  to  the  stall  of  a 
venerable  Arab  who  sat  cross-legged  among  jars  of  butter 
and  oil,  and  empty  jars  for  the  accommodation  of  custom- 
ers. His  butter  was  the  best  in  market,  and  to  assure  me 
of  its  good  quality,  he  took  up  a wooden  ladle  filled  with 
the  grease,  bit  off  a large  mouthful,  smacked  his  lips,  and 
dipped  the  ladle  in  again  to  fill  my  jar.  Each  time  the 
ladle  came  out,  his  great  greasy  fingers  that  had  just  been 
in  oil,’  were  used  to  scrape  it  clean,  and  when  the  scales 
were  emptied  he  scooped  up  what  remained  with  his  fingers 
and  wiped  them  upon  my  jar,  and  then  sucked  them  in  his 
mouth.  The  termination  of  this  disgusting  process  so 
moved  my  risibles  that  he  observed  it,  laughed  also,  and 
repeated  the  motion.  I told  him  that  was  not  American ; 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 


23 


to  which  he  replied  through  the  dragoman,  that  “ an 
Egyptian  eats  with  his  whole  heart,  and  does  not  look  at 
every  thing  as  if  he  was  afraid  to  put  it  in  his  mouth ! ” 

In  Alexandria  almost  every  thing  is  sold  by  weight,  — 
the  oka,  which  weighs  about  three  pounds,  being  the  com- 
mon standard.  Oil,  vinegar,  and  even  wine,  are  sold  by 
the  oka  ; salt  is  sold  in  blocks,  by  weight.  Flour  of  a good 
quality  is  dear,  and  so  are  potatoes,  both  being  imported 
from  Europe.  The  Egyptian  flour  is  commonly  dark  and 
rank,  and  makes  a coarse  black  bread.  The  potatoe  is 
little  used  in  southern  Europe,  in  Egypt,  or  in  Asia.  Good 
tea  is  scarce  and  dear  in  Alexandria,  and  the  traveller  had 
better  bring  this  from  Malta.  The  native  sugar  of  Egypt 
is  good  enough  for  common  purposes,  and  is  comparatively 
cheap.  But  the  prices  of  all  articles  of  food  are  steadily 
advancing  in  Egypt,  in  consequence  of  the  increase  of 
travel,  and  the  stories  of  the  extraordinary  cheapness 
of  living  here,  so  far  as  travellers  are  concerned,  will  soon 
be  classed  with  other  oriental  legends. 

A store  of  charcoal  and  wood  was  necessary.  This  was 
to  be  obtained,  not  as  in  New  York  at  docks  or  yards 
appropriated  to  storing  fuel,  but  at  little  shops  about  eight 
feet  square,  in  streets  about  as  many  feet  in  width.  The 
vender  of  wood  had  his  stock  cut  up  into  small  pieces 
which  he  sold  by  the  oka  ; and  if  a stick  chanced  to  be  too 
large  or  too  long,  he  deliberately  squatted  down  upon  his 
haunches,  laid  it  upon  a little  block  before  him,  and  hewed 
it  down  to  a smaller  compass.  He  had  also  little  bundles 
of  pitch  pine  splinters  for  kindling-wood.  The  wood  I 
bought  weighed  altogether  about  a hundred  and  fifty 
pounds,  and  cost  fifty  cents ; it  was  thrown  into  a large 
basket  — such  as  are  used  for  packing  dates  — and  one 
of  the  supernumeraries  already  mentioned,  took  it  upon  his 
back,  and  carrying  the  rope  around  his  forehead , marched 
off  with  it  to  the  boat. 


24 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Nutmegs  are  bheap  in  this  market  — only  two  cents 
apiece,  — and  large,  fresh,  sweet,  luscious  oranges,  that  have 
ripened  on  the  tree,  can  be  bought  for  fifty  cents  the 
hundred.  At  an  orange  merchant’s  I witnessed  the  per- 
sistency of  a Mussulman  in  his  devotions.  The  old  man 
with  a gray  beard,  knew  doubtless  that  a customer  stood 
before  his  door  — indeed  I was  at  his  very  side  ; but  it  was 
his  hour  of  prayer,  and  he  stood  facing  the  East  with  rapt 
attention,  gazing  upon  vacancy,  and  muttering  with  incon- 
ceivable rapidity,  then  prostrated  himself  upon  his  knees, 
then  kissed  the  ground,  then  rose  and  muttered  again,  then 
down  upon  his  knees  and  thence  to  the  ground,  and  so  on 
in  endless  repetition.  I never  entered  a Catholic  church  in 
Europe  but  all  eyes  were  turned  from  beads  and  altars  and 
breviaries,  — and  often  too  the  eyes  of  priests  and  their 
attendants,  — to  regard  the  stranger;  but  this  Mussulman 
did  not  once  turn  his  eyes  from  the  imaginary  point  upon 
which  they  were  fixed,  until  he  had  finished  his  devotions, 
though  he  ran  the  risk  of  losing  a bargain.  The  dragoman 
warned  me  not  to  speak  to  him,  for  if  he  should  chance  to 
reply,  “ he  would  have  to  do  it  all  over  again.” 

A dealer  in  comfortables,  afforded  a good  specimen  of 
oriental  trading  as  it  was  before  the  innovations  of  the 
Franks.  He  was  a man  of  fifty,  in  good  condition,  wore  a 
handsome  turban,  a long  white  jacket  with  blue  bands, 
gathered  in  ample  folds  about  his  waist,  white  loose 
trowsers,  leggings,  sandals,  and  a long  flowing  scarf.  His 
shop, like  the  rest,  was  about  eight  feet  square;  he  sat  in 
one  corner  by  the  door,  cross-legged  upon  a mat,  smoking 
a long  pipe,  the  bowl  of  which  rested  in  a pan  of  ashes, 
and  sipping  a tiny  cup  of  jet  black  coffee,  without  sugar  or 
milk,  while  a little  tin  pot  of  the  same  beverage  was  steam- 
ing at  his  side.  When  we  stopped  at  his  door,  or  rather  in 
front  of  the  shop,  for  the  whole  front  was  open  to  the  street, 


THE  BAZAAR 


. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 


25 


lie  very  deliberately  handed  his  pipe  and  cup  to  his  servant 
who  stood  behind  him,  then  rose  and  handed  us  the  article 
for  which  we  inquired.  His  entire  stock  amounted  to  three 
comforters,  three  baskets  of  cotton,  and  half  a dozen  small 
articles  of  bedding.  After  we  had  made  our  examination 
and  comments,  he  resumed  his  deliberate  attitude  as  if  quite 
indifferent  to  the  result. 

The  offer  of  a sovereign  in  payment  of  our  purchase,  led 
to  a general  consultation  among  the  bystanders.  It  was 
passed  from  hand  to  hand,  stared  over  gravely,  and  its 
value  computed  in  piastres,  when  lo,  it  proved  that  the 
whole  assembled  company  could  not  change  the  piece,  and 
I was  obliged  to  borrow  silver  of  the  dragoman.  The  money 
of  all  countries  is  current  in  Egypt ; Spanish  doubloons, 
English  sovereigns,  French  Napoleons,  dollars  Spanish, 
Austrian,  American,  Neapolitan,  besides  the  money  of 
Constantinople,  — the  currency  of  the  country  being  exceed- 
ingly ill-regulated.  It  is  a great  perplexity  to  a stranger 
to  reduce  all  these  to  their  valuation  in  piastres  (five  cent 
pieces),  and  almost  equally  so  to  small  shopkeepers,  the 
limited  extent  of  whose  resources  is  illustrated  by  the 
fact  that  I seldom  found  one  who  was  able  to  change  a 
sovereign. 


CHAPTER  III. 


\ 


THE  EMBARKATION — MAHMOODe'eH  CANAL— THE  NILE. 

We  liad  searched  everywhere  for  an  American  flag,  but 
without  success ; but  at  length,  just  on  the  eve  of  starting, 
we  found  a tailor  who  engaged  to  make  one  in  two  hours 
for  six  dollars.  As  its  size  would  not  admit  of  the  entire 
constellation,  we  inserted  the  “ glorious  old  thirteen,”  "which 
would  serve  to  remind  us  at  once  of  the  original  States,  and 
also,  by  “the  digits  reversed,”  of  the  present  number. 
This  flag  was  voted  to  the  Commissary- General  as  his 
perquisite. 

It  had  occurred  to  us  that  good  Yankee  gingerbread 
would  not  be  amiss  upon  the  Nile  ; but  neither  ginger  nor 
“ treacle  ” could  be  found  except  at  a chemist’s,  prepared 
for  medical  uses ; — the  ginger  at  twenty-five  cents  an 
ounce,  and  the  treacle  at  the  same  price  per  pound.  I paid 
a dollar  for  about  three  pints  of  this  luxury. 

Being  duly  fortified  with  consular  and  Turkish  passports, 
— which,  without  being  in  the  least  required  by  the  govern- 
ment, are  forced  upon  the  traveller  by  a copartnership 
of  the  consuls  and  the  local  authorities  for  the  plunder 
of  travellers,  — the  party  proceeded  to  the  boat  in  a car- 
riage with  the  exception  of  the  dragoman  and  myself,  who 
remained  to  marshal  the  cavalcade  of  provisions.  And  a 
most  imposing  cavalcade  it  was.  Two  long,  low,  narrow 
wagons,  with  wheels  about  eighteen  inches  in  diameter, 
driven  by  swarthy  men  in  long  frocks  and  red  caps,  carried 


THE  EMBARKATION;  MAHMOODEEH  CANAL.  27 

the  major  part  of  the  stores.  These  were  preceded  by 
a Janissary , or  more  properly  a Caivass,  mounted  on  a 
donkey;  he  was  dressed  in  a blue  frock  reaching  to  his 
knees,  loose  trowsers  gathered  about  his  calves,  neat 
leggings  and  sandals,  and  a red  cap  with  a black  tassel ; a 
long,  crooked  sword  dangled  at  his  side ; he  was  a fine 
looking  man,  and  regarded  the  whole  cavalcade  with  a most 
complacent  air.  Next  followed  the  writer  on  a donkey,  in 
the  capacity  of  Commissary- General ; then  the  two  wagons, 
one  of  them  mounted  by  a stout  Nubian  in  smock  and 
turban,  — wdio  was  an  officer  of  the  customs,  and  without 
whom  we  could  not  pass  the  gate,  — and  flanked  by  sundry 
boys  and  men,  carrying  parcels,  or  testifying  their  interest 
in  the  movement;  and  the  rear  was  brought  up  by  our 
dragoman  and  the  culinary  professor,  both  mounted  on 
donkeys  and  wearing  red  caps.  The  donkey  boys  ran  after 
us,  and  as  we  approached  the  canal,  we  put  their  speed  to 
the  test,  so  as  to  bring  up  in  proper  style  before  the  boat. 
On  the  way  my  attention  was  arrested  by  a continuous 
murmuring  and  wailing  sound,  which  proceeded  from  sev- 
eral parties  of  Mohammedans  in  the  burial  ground,  repeat- 
ing prayers  for  the  dead,  according  to  their  custom  upon 
Friday  of  each  week. 

Dashing  by  Pompey’s  Pillar,  we  were  presently  at  the 
place  of  embarkation  upon  the  Mahmoodeeh  canal,  which 
was  to  bear  us  to  the  Nile  forty  miles  distant. 

Everybody  knows  the  story  of  this  canal.  It  was 
opened  in  1820.  Its  construction  was  a part  of  the  scheme 
of  Mohammed  Ali  for  reviving  the  commerce  of  Alexan- 
dria with  the  East.  Taking  as  a base  the  old  canal  of 
Fooah,  which  was  yet  in  use  in  the  time  of  the  Venetians, 
and  following  in  part  the  ancient  Canopic  branch  of  the 
Nile,  he  opened  a communication  of  forty  miles  between 
Alexandria  and  Atfeh  on  the  Rosetta  branch.  An  army 


28 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  persons  was  gathered  to 
dig  this  canal,  the  dirt  being  scooped  out  by  the  hand  or 
with  a common  hoe,  and  all  removed  in  sacks  or  baskets 
carried  on  the  shoulders ; and  so  miserable  was  the  pro- 
vision of  food,  clothing,  and  shelter  for  this  multitude  of 
laborers,  and  so  severe  were  the  daily  tasks  exacted  of 
them,  that  “ no  less  than  twenty  thousand  are  said  to  have 
perished,  by  accidents,  hunger,  and  plague.”  It  was  the 
counterpart  of  the  old  scenes  of  brickmaking  among  the 
Israelites  in  bondage.  "The  will  of  the  tyrant  made  the 
lives  of  his  subjects  as  the  dirt  beneath  his  feet. 

The  dead  level  of  the  canal  presents  nothing  of  interest. 
A sail  of  a few  hours  brings  us  to  the  Nile.  And  now  we 
are  fairly  afloat  upon  the  most  historical,  the  most  fertiliz- 
ing, the  most  wonderful  river  of  the  world.  Just  here,  at 
this  season  — when  the  waters  are  receding  toward  their 
lowest  level  — it  is  about  half  a mile  wide ; its  banks  are 
low  and  unrelieved  by  mounds  or  trees  ; its  waters  are 
muddy,  and  its  current  swift ; and  its  commerce  is  limited 
to  boats  of  thirty  or  forty  tons  laden  with  cotton  and  wheat 
for  Alexandria.  But  what  a dreamy  atmosphere  is  this; 
bland,  bright,  pure,  dry,  the  thermometer  at  nearly  seventy 
in  the  shade  ; what  a soil  is  this,  ten,  twelve,  twenty  feet 
deep  of  rich  black  alluvial  deposit,  covering  even  the 
borders  of  the  desert  with  fertility;  what  an  illimitable 
extent  of  field  without  fence  or  tree  or  any  landmark, 
clothed  with  the  richest  verdure,  — the  springing  wheat, 
the  fresh  and  fragrant  clover,  — or  upturned  by  recent 
plowing  to  the  cheerful  sun;  what  vast  herds  of  cattle, 
mingled  with  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep,  the  patient  donkey 
and  the  lazy  camel  stretched  upon  the  sward ; what  mul- 
titudes of  birds  making  the  air  vocal  with  their  song,- 
skimming  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  alighting  with 
pleasing  confidence  upon  the  deck  of  our  vessel;  what 


THE  NILE. 


29 


numbers  of  boats  descending  broadside  with  the  current,  now 
swell  the  commerce  of  the  Nile  to  the  flat-boat  commerce 
of  the  Mississippi ; how  picturesque  those  villages  scattered 
along  the  banks,  shielded  by  strong  levees  from  the  swift  and 
changeful  current ; adorned  with  tall  and  graceful  palms, 
through  which  the  minaret  peeps  like  the  spire  of  a distant 
church ; their  round  mud  houses  resembling  from  a distance 
the  towers  and  bastions  of  a fort,  and  the  bazaar  with  its 
little  grove  of  sycamores,  like  the  garden  walk  of  a king ; 
how  majestic  is  this  flood,  now  widening  to  a sea,  now 
sweeping  through  some  new  made  channel  and  depositing 
fresh  acres  upon  the  opposite  bank,  ever  rolling  its  alluvial 
wealth  from  Nubia  to  the  delta ; — from  Noah  to  Moses, 
from  Moses  to  Herodotus  and  Strabo,  from  Herodotus  and 
Strabo  until  now,  the  same  mighty  ceaseless  river,  whose 
banks  have  been  the  h£>me  of  patriarchs  and  the  burial- 
place  of  kings,  the  seat  of  empire  and  its  grave,  the 
treasure-house  and  the  mausoleum  of  Learning  and  of  Art. 
This  is  the  Nile,  the  rich,  the  glorious  Nile.  No  wonder 
that  more  than  two  thousand  years  ago  the  king  of  Egypt, 
lying  like  a dragon  in  the  midst  of  his  rivers,  said,  “My 
river  is  mine  own,  and  I have  made  it  for  myself.”  * No 
wonder  that  in  an  age  when  all  blessings  were  symbolized 
by  objects  of  worship,  the  gigantic  form  of  Nilus  pouring 
forth  his  floods  was  the  adoration  of  Egypt. 

I am  on  the  Nile  ; let  me  dream  awhile  of  its  gorgeous 
Past,  before  I look  upon  its  desolated  Present.  The  shrill 
cadence  of  the  Muezzin  call  from  yonder  minaret,  has  died 
away ; the  bark  of  the  village  dogs  has  ceased ; the  monoto- 
nous song  of  the  boatmen  is  endedj  the  water  ripples  gently 
against  the  vessel’s  side,  and  the  young  moon  steals  through 
my  curtain,  as  I lie  down  to  sleep  upon  the  bosom  of  the 
Nile. 

* Ezekiel  xxix.  3. 

3* 


30 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Before  me  opens  the  Egypt  of  four  thousand  years.  I 
walk  with  the  patriarch  of  Mamre  upon  the  plains  of 
Mizraim ; I tread  with  awe  the  city  of  Menes,  the  first 
of  Egypt’s  kings  — the  city  Abraham  saw,  now  flanked 
with  its  stupendous  pyramids,  and  guarded  by  its  mysterious 
sphinx;  from  Noph  I turn  toward  On,  and  through  the 
vista  of  forty  centuries  behold  the  mighty  temple  of  the 
Sun ; amid  these  monuments  I meet  the  youthful  shepherd, 
brought  as  a captive  to  the  house  of  Pharaoh ; I see  him 
in  his  dungeon  cheered  with  heavenly  visions ; I see  him 
in  his  chariot  of  state,  the  head  of  all  the  realm ; I behold 
his  venerable  father  meeting  his  long-lost  son ; I see  the 
long  funereal  train  that  hears  the  hones  of  Jacob  to  the 
grave  of  his  fathers ; I see  the  land  of  Goshen  teeming 
with  flocks  and  herds,  and  peopled  with  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham ; I behold  the  spreading  power  of  the  Pharaohs,  and 
their  oppression  of  the  chosen  of  the  Lord;  I hear  the 
groaning  of  the  people  from  the  sweltering  plains;  I see 
the  infant  Moses  floating  on  the  Nile  in  his  bark  of  reeds ; 
I follow  him  through  all  the  wealth  and  pomp  of  Pharaoh’s 
court,  into  the  grand  and  solemn  wilderness  of  Sinai,  till  as 
the  leader  of  an  emancipated  nation,  he  begins  the  march 
from  the  delta  of  the  Nile,  to  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Jordan ; 
I behold  the  envious  and  maddened  monarch  struggling 
with  the  returning  waves  ; — the  moon  expires,  and  dark- 
ness comes  over  Egypt  so  thick  that  it  can  be  felt ; — my 
boat  sails  onward  up  the  Nile : I pass  by  Denderah  and  its 
zodiac  of  Ptolemaic  origin,  and  now  I stand  before  the  city 
of  the  hundred  gates  ; its  twenty  thousand  chariots  of  war 
are  gathered  in  the  plain  to  defy  the  invading  hosts  of 
Persia;  Karnak  looms  grandly  through  its  avenue  of 
sphinxes  and  its  propylon  of  obelisks  and  statues,  and  the 
colossi  raised  in  rude  majesty  above  the  plain,  from  their 
seats  assert  the  empire  of  the  world ; the  Father  of  song 


THE  NILE. 


31 


here  gathers  fresh  numbers  for  his  great  epic ; the  Father 
of  history  here  gathers  the  treasured  learning  of  the  past ; 
the  wealth,  the  grandeur,  the  power  of  the  world’s  kingdoms 
concentrated  thus  near  its  source,  now  fill  the  panorama 
of  the  Nile  ; — my  boat  heads  onward  to  Syene  — but 
Memnon  answers  to  the  Sun  — aqd  my  dream  is  broken. 

The  dream  is  broken,  for  more  mournful  than  the  Muez- 
zin cry  comes  the  voice  of  the  prophet  over  the  abyss 
of  time,  “ Behold  I am  against  thee  and  against  thy  rivers, 
and  I will  make  the  land  of  Egypt  utterly  waste  and 
desolate,  from  the  tower  of  Syene  even  to  the  border 
of  Ethiopia  ....  It  shall  be  the  basest  of  the  kingdoms  ; 
neither  shall  it  exalt  itself  any  more  above  the  nations ; 
for  I will  diminish  them,  that  they  shall  no  more  rule  over 
the  nations.”*  I look  out  upon  a little  mud  village,  so 
picturesque  from  a distance,  and  find  it  the  abode  of  filth, 
and  squalor,  and  poverty ; the  children  naked  and  lying 
with  the  dogs  ; the  miserable  representatives  of  a fallen 
race  mixed  with  the  race  of  their  conquerors,  without 
knowledge,  without  energy,  without  ambition,  held  in  the 
iron  grasp  of  Fatalism,  and  making  it  a religious  virtue  to 
abide  in  the  degradation  to  which  they  are  born ; — dimin- 
ished in  numbers,  impoverished,  enslaved,  indeed  “ the 
basest  of  the  kingdoms .”  * 


* Ezekiel  xxix.  10, 15. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NILE  COMFORTS  ; A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 

“ O my  eyes ! O my  love ! O the  sun ! O the  moon  ! 
O my  father ! 0 my  mother ! O my  sister ! O the  river ! 

O the  pilgrimage  to  Mecca ! 0 the  procession  of  the 

Sultan ! 0 the  prophet ! O the  Effendi ! 0 Abbas  Pasha! 
O Mohammed ! The  hawagee  (travellers)  are  with  us ! 
We  are  going  up  the  Nile ! ” 

Such  is  the  senseless  song  with  which  our  Arab  boatmen 
divert  themselves  in  endless  repetition.  When  laboring 
at  the  oar,  the  reis  (captain)  leads  in  each  invocation,  and 
the  crew  keep  time  with  a chorus,  which,  translated  into 
English,  signifies  * Pull,  pull  away ; ” when  lolling  about 
the  deck,  while  the  wind  carries  the  boat  forward,  they  sing 
it  all  together,  in  an  unvarying  round  ; and  at  evening  they 
gather  on  the  deck,  and  with  the  accompaniment  of  a rude 
tambourine  and  a reed  fife,  clapping  their  palms  as  in  an 
ecstasy  of  joy,  at  every  sentiment,  they  repeat  forever- 
more, “ O my  eyes,  and  my  love,  and  my  father,  and  my 
mother,  and  my  sister,  and  the  river,  and  the  sun,  and  the 
moon,  and  Mecca,  and  the  Sultan,  and  Mohammed  ! ” * 

I think  I could  suggest  a variation  that  would  at  least 
have  the  merit  of  appealing  to  the  feelings  of  the  hawagee. 
It  would  run  somewhat  after  this  style  : “ O the  fleas  ! O 

a 

* The  range  of  this  chorus  is  represented  by  a very  few  notes,  used 
also  as  a religious  chant.  The  Captain  intones  the  invocation,  and  the 
* prew  respond  4t  eyer y pause.  [See  music  in  Appendix.] 


NILE  COMFORTS. 


S3 


the  mosquitoes  ! O the  hugs ! O the  spiders'!  O the  flies ! 
O the  cockroaches ! O the  wood-lice ! O the  ants  ! O the 
earwigs  ! O the  rats  ! O the  braying  of  the  donkeys  ! O 
the  barking  of  the  dogs ! Oo-oo-oh ! the  fleas ! O Moham- 
med ! the  hawagee  are  going  up  the  Nile!”  Yet  it  would 
be  a profanation  to  sing  such  a song  — so  animal  — so 
earthly  — on  this  celestial  night  upon  the  Nile.  The  sun 
has  just  dipped  behind  the  apex  of  the  great  pyramid, 
which,  for  four  thousand  years,  has  watched  his  daily 
decline,  and  gathered  his  last  rays  from  the  sands  of  the 
Lybian  Desert ; and  now  the  full  moon  silvers  the  rippling 
surface  of  the  river,  as  our  bark  skims  over  it  before  the 
wind.  The  atmosphere  is  perfectly  transparent,  and,  like 
the  sky  of  Italy,  it  has  a liquid  depth  that  lures  the  soul 
onward  and  upward  to  the  infinite.  Nay,  such  a sky  does 
not  shine  on  Italy,  — so  pure,  so  serene/  so  resplendent  in 
the  radiance  of  its  stars,  and  the  groupings  of  its  constel- 
lations. Nor  is  there  in  all  Europe  such  a river  to  give 
back  her  lustre  to  the  moon.  After  all,  in  keeping  with 
this  glorious  scene  is  that  closing  cadence  of  the  boatman’s 
song,  invoking  all  that  to  the  rude  Arab  is  praiseworthy : 
“ O ! the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  the  river,  and  the  Sultan, 
and  Mohammed!”  So  “ Wulluhhee  haly-saw  ! ” — we  are 
going  up  the  Nile. 

Our  boat  is  a cross  between  a sloop  and  a canal  boat. 
It  is  about  seventy  feet  long  and  eighteen  wide  at  its 
greatest  breadth,  and  would  measure  between  thirty  and 
forty  tons.  From  stern  to  midships  is  a raised  or  poop 
cabin,  which  is  divided  into  several  compartments.  The 
rear-most,  a room  about  seven  feet  square,  is  the  sanctum 
of  the  worthy  couple  who  have  domesticated  our  journey 
from  Paris  hither ; next  to  this  is  a space  of  nearly  equal 
dimensions,  occupied  by  a wash-room,  dressing-room,  and 
pantry ; then  comes  cabin  No.  2,  seven  feet  by  fifteen,  upon 


34 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  opposite  'sides  of  which,  behind  curtains  of  coarse 
cotton  cloth,  the  professor  and  myself  assert  our  respective 
rights  ; in  front  of  this,  and  facing  the  deck,  is  another 
cabin,  six  feet  by  sixteen,  which  serves  as  dining  and  sitting 
room.  These  cabins  are  furnished  on  both  sides  with 
double  sets  of  sashes,  glass  and  Venetian,  and  the  dining- 
room is  lighted  also  from  the  front.  Beyond  the  dining- 
room is  a cushioned  verandah  two  feet  in  width  extending 
across  the  boat.  Each  cabin  is  furnished  with  divans  — 
raised  benches  fastened  to  the  sides  of  the  boat  — which 
serve  as  seats  or  lounges  by  day  and  are  converted  into 
beds  at  night.  We  have  all  manner  of  contrivances  for 
writing  and  for  stowing  things  compactly. 

The  deck  in  front  of  the  cabins,  is  occupied  by  the  crew 
when  working  the  boat,  and  also  serves  as  the  place  for  their 
meals  and  for  their  devotions.  Below  this  is  a shallow  hold, 
not  deep  enough  for  a man  to  sit  erect  in  it,  where  they  stow 
themselves  to  sleep  when  the  night  is  not  Avarm  enough  for 
them  to  lie  upon  the  open  deck.  In  this  also,  the  heavier 
stores  of  the  company  are  kept.  In  the  bow  of  the  vessel  is  a 
neat  little  cubby  for  culinary  purposes  ; containing  an  oven 
and  all  sorts  of  miniature  compartments  for  cooking  with  a 
thimble  full  of  charcoal.  Over  this  our  newly  inaugurated 
professor  of  dietetics  has  absolute  control ; and  so  satis- 
factorily have  his  “ culinary  talents  ” developed  themselves, 
such  is  his  punctuality,  his  docility,  his  neatness,  and  his 
skill,  that  I have  already  assured  him  of  his  £2  per  month 
and  of  an  engagement  for  the  desert  and  for  Palestine,  and 
furthermore  have  volunteered  to  make  honorable  mention 
of  him  in  a certain  newspaper  in  New  York  ; whereat 
Ibrahim  opens  his  eyes  wonderingly,  kisses  his  hand  and 
touches  his  forehead,  laughs  till  his  eyes  sparkle,  again 
touches  his  hand  to  his  lips  and  his  forehead,  and  dishes 
up  the  breakfast  “with  alacrity.”  Favored  indeed  of  the 


dahabieh. 


A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 


35 


Prophet  will  that  Hawagee  be,  whose  palate  is  daily  tempted 
from  the  caboose  of  Ibrahim  Sulliman,  and  served  by  his 
faithful  boy  Mohammed. 

Our  boat  is  rigged  after  a fashion  never  seen  upon  the 
Hudson.  In  the  bow  is  an  enormous  lateen-sail,*  fastened 
to  a spar,  which  is  swung  as  upon  a pivot  on  the  top  of  a 
mast,  some  forty  feet  in  height ; the  spar  is  about  a hundred 
feet  long,  and  swings  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees ; this 
position,  and  the  facility  of  rotary  motion  bring  the  sail 
readily  before  the  wind,  so  that  it  fills  easily.  In  the  stern 
of  the  boat  is  a sail  similarly  adjusted,  but  upon  a much 
smaller  scale.  Here  also  is  the  tiller,  which  the  helmsman 
manages  from  the  top  of  the  poop.  Twelve  banks  of 
oars,  and  twelve  huge  poles  pointed  with  iron  to  be  used 
in  shallow  water,  complete  the  equipment  of  the  bark 
“Lotus”  of  Alexandria,  bound  for  Thebes.  From  her 
flagstaff  wave  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  from  the  forward 
mast  the  pennon  of  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 

W , U , T , & Co.,  the  charterers  of  this 

present  expedition.  The  boat  is  manned  by  a reis  (cap- 
tain), a steersman,  and  twelve  hands,  making  our  entire 
company,  including  the  dragoman  and  the  professor  culi- 
nary, twenty  souls. 

An  Arab  crew  is  an  interesting  study.  Ours  is  a mixture 
of  all  the  races  that  inheritance  or  successive  conquests 
have  gathered  upon  the  soil  of  Egypt.  The  reis  hails  from 
Keneh  opposite  the  ancient  Tentyra,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Thebes.  He  is  a slender,  graceful  man,  of  a dark 
copper  color,  with  a keen  eye,  a pleasant  expression,  and  a 
voice  as  musical  as  the  Pope’s  at  Vespers  in  the  Sistine 

* “ A lateen- sail  is  a triangular  sail,  extended  by  a long  yard,  which  is 
swung  about  one  quarter  the  distance  from  the  lower  end,  which  is  brought 
down  at  the  tack,  while  the  other  end  is  elevated  at  an  angle  of  about 
forty-five  degrees.”  — ( Webster)  Maritime  Dictionary. 


36 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


chapel.  He  dresses  richly  and  in  good  taste,  wears  a 
turban  of  red  silk' wreathed  about  a white  skullcap,  a white 
gown  descending  nearly  to  the  knees  and  terminating  in 
two  loose  bags  fastened  about  the  legs,  and  a striped  silk 
waistcoat  of  gay  colors,  the  back  being  of  the  same  mate- 
rial. His  hamees  is  frilled  and  filigreed  upon  the  breast, 
and  copiously  adorned  with  buttons,  and  has  wide  sleeves 
reaching  below  the  elbows.  When  the  weather  is  cool,  he 
throws  over  all  a flowing  mantle  of  blue  calico.  He  has 
not  attained  to  the  dignity  of  shoes,  but  goes  with  the  legs 
bare  from  the  knees.  When  the  wind  blows,  he  sits  cross- 
legged  all  day  long  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  smoking  his 
chibouque  as  if  he  wTere  a youthful  Hawagee  on  the  lookout 
for  pyramids,  sphinxes,  and  crocodiles  ; and  when  the  boat 
is  becalmed,  he  still  sits  dreamily  whiffing,  as  if  the  Prophet 
had  given  him  a foretaste  of  his  Paradise  in  Latakia  * and 
sleep.  But  when  the  boat  is  aground,  an  almost  daily 
occurrence  — or  when  the  poles,  the  oars,  or  the  rope  must 
be  used  to  start  her  on  her  way,  then  the  word  of  command 
goes  forth  with  the  most  violent  guttural  energy,  and  in 
strange  contrast,  that  soft  plaintive  voice  leads  in  the  invoca- 
tions to  the  sun,  and  the  moon,  and  father,  and  mother,  and 
sister,  and  the  Sultan,  and  Mecca,  and  the  Effendi,  and 
Mohammed,  while  after  each  comes  in -the  full  monotonous 
chorus,  “ Wulleh  ha  lialy-saw Nor  does  the  re  is  disdain  at 
times  to  lay  aside  his  mantle  and  his  pipe,  and  in  flowing 
turban,  striped  vest,  and  puffing  knee-bags,  to  put  his  brawny 
arm  to  pole  and  oar,  and  to  follow  the  invocations  of  his 
mate  with  a “ hee-haly-saw”  At  early  morning  and  at 
sunset,  and  many  times  in  the  day,  he  washes  his  feet,  goes 
up  on  the  quarter-deck,  spreads  out  his  mantle,  and  turning 

* Latakia , the  representative  of  the  ancient  Laodicea,  is  a small  town 
on  the  coast  of  Syria,  celebrated  for  its  tobacco.  The  mild  flavor  of  the 
plant  here  grown,  causes  it  to  be  highly  prized  throughout  the  Levant. 


A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 


37 


his  face  toward  Mecca,  bows,  and  kneels,  and  prostrates 
himself,  and  prays,  and  kisses,  and  gesticulates,  according  to 
the  formula,  with  a gravity  and  a sincerity  that  excite  at 
once  sympathy  and  charity.  To  me  this  is  more  impressive 
than  the  genuflections,  the  marchings  and  countermarchings 
of  the  Pope  at  High  Mass  in  St.  Peter’s ; and  the  singsong 
invocations,  which  continually  remind  me  of  the  Pope’s 
recitatives,  are  also  to  unbelieving  ears  quite  as  significant  in 
the  one  case  as  in  the  other. 

Such  is  our  re, 'is  on  board  the  boat.  But  when  the  boat 
halts  at  the  little  villages  along  the  river,  no  turbaned  head 
moves  with  greater  dignity  and  grace  than  his,  as  he 
exchanges  oriental  salutations  with  the  chief  men,  sips  of 
their  cotfee,  and  inhales  through  their  amber  mouth-pieces, 
the  choicest  weed  of  Syria.  Most  complacently  too  doth  the 
reis  then  smile  upon  the  Hawagee  as  they  saunter  through 
the  bazaar,  and  no  doubt  he  unfoldeth  wondrous  tales  of  the 
Occidental  travellers  committed  to  his  care ; — for  it  is  a 
pardonable  weakness  of  the  Arab  to  magnify  himself  by 
extolling  his  employers.  And  well  may  he  be  proud  of  the 
“ LotiJfe  ” — a dahabeeh  of  the  largest  class,  on  this  her  first 
voyage,  with  the  waving  sta^s  and  stripes,  with  three  six- 
footed American  ragel-zereej, ‘ and  especially  with  an  Ame- 
rican sit , who  is  the  wonder  of  all  the  women  and  children 
of  the  villages.  His  sense  of  responsibility  sometimes  keeps 
him  on  the  watch  the  livelong  night  against  robbers  at  the 
stopping  places.  Bating  the  loss  of  the  forefinger  of  his 
right  hand,  which  has  been  amputated  to  avoid  impressment 
in  the  army,  our  reis  Marzug  may  be  set  down  for  a 
complete  man. 

The  pay  of  such  a turbaned  dignitary,  commander, 
priest,  and  guard,  is  twenty-jive  cents  a day,  out  of  which 
he  feeds  himself  twice  a day  with  a wooden  bowl  of  black 
bread  stewed  with  lentils,  fills  the  little  earthen  bowl  of  his 

4 


38 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


chibouque  with  the  fragrant  weed,  and  his  tin yjingdn  with 
a decoction  of  strong  hot  black  coffee.  The  reis  is  the 
character  of  the  boat.  We  have  with  him  a solemn  con- 
tract, prescribing  his  duties,  and  our  rights,  and  giving  us 
power  to  settle  any  dispute  or  to  punish  any  delinquency  by 
citing  him  before  the  nearest  local  governor.  I presume 
that  the  Arabic  version  of  this  important  document,  sleeps 
as  quietly  in  his  private  box  as  the  English  does  in  mine. 
But  the  laws  of  Egypt  are  very  strict  towards  the  captains 
of  the  Nile  boats.  Constructive  responsibility  is  the  inva- 
riable rule.  We  lately  met  the  reis  of  another  boat,  who 
was  in  great  concern  lest  he  should  be  imprisoned  for  two 
years,  because  by  the  order  of  the  charterers  he  had  gone 
forward  without  a servant  of  the  party,  who  had  wandered 
from  the  boat.  The  reis  is  answerable  for  the  good  conduct 
of  the  crew,  and  for  the  property  of  the  boat  and  of  its 
occupants.  The  other  day  when  an  altercation  arose  be- 
tween two  of  our  crew,  the  reis , though  far  from  being  a 
match  for  either  of  them  physically,  cowed  them  down  in 
an  instant  by  raising  his  stick,  and  speaking  with  authority. 
When  all  our  party  leave  the  boat  every  thing  is  saie,  with 
the  key  in  his  hands.  Indeed  the  captain  of  a travelling  boat 
upon  the  Nile,  though  its  passengers  never  exceed  half  a 
dozen,  nor  its  crew  a dozen  persons,  is  the  most  important 
personage  upon  this  ancient  river.  I doubt  whether  Cleo- 
patra’s barge,  with  its  poop  of  gold,  its  oars  of  silver,  and 
its  perfumed  silken  sails,  surpassed  a modern  dahabeeh  in 
size  and  stateliness,  or  in  the  substantial  comforts  of  Ameri- 
can Hawagee , whose  stores  were  bought  in  the  Egyptian 
bazaar  of  Alexandria. 

The  guiding  spirit  of  our  boat  is  the  steersman,  IIassan. 
The  reis  for  dignity,  Hassan  for  power.  Always  at  his 
post,  leaning  over  the  tiller  with  the  same  steady  watchful 
eye,  you  would  take  him  for  old  Nilus  in  effigy,  were  it  not 


A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 


39 


that  when  the  boat  gets  fast  aground,  he  leaps  upon  the 
deck,  and  with  loudest  voice,  and  stoutest  arm,  assists  to 
shove  her  off.  Hassan  is  a Nubian,  as  black  as  Egyptian 
darkness  in  the  days  of  Pharaoh ; of  a finely  proportioned 
frame,  and  wearing  upon  his  shoulders  as  noble  a head  as 
the  Anglo-Saxon  can  boast.  His  expression  is  intelligent 
and  kind,  and  his  manner  the  perfection  of  natural  dignity 
and  grace.  He  knows  his  business  thoroughly,  and  sticks 
to  it  faithfully.  He  is  not  noisy  and  loquacious  like  the 
Arab  sailors,  but  when  an  extra  pull  is  needed,  he  shows  a 
wronderful  energy  and  an  instinctive  capacity  to  command, 
which  his  copper-colored  associates  as  instinctively  recog- 
nize. His  teeth  are  the  fairest  pearls  of  the  Orient,  and 
most  benignly  does  he  smile  upon  the  Hawagee  each  morn- 
ing with  his  “ sabal  kkayr”  (good  morning,)  to  which  he 
often  adds,  “ may  your  day  be  blessed.”  But  with  many  a 
nod  and  grin  does  he  greet  us  when  the  wind  promises  fair, 
and,  pointing  to  the  sails,  he  repeats  the  Italian  “ buono, 
buono,”  (good,  good,)  which  every  Arab  has  picked  up  for 
English.  He  is  withal  a natural  orator,  in  every  gesture 
and  expression.  A noble  fellow  is  Hassan,  worth  more 
surely  than  twelve  and  a half  cents  a day.  He  has  depth 
of  character  and  kindliness  of  spirit.  He  never  gets  into  a 
passion,  he  never  shows  signs  of  weariness.  The  first 
object  you  see  in  the  morning  when  you  go  upon  deck,  is 
the  white  teeth  of  Hassan  smiling  his  morning  salutation 
through  his  curling  black  beard ; and  the  last  object  that 
fades  upon  your  vision  as  you  enter  your  cabin  for  the 
night,  is  the  blue  and  white  turban,  the  blue  cotton  gown, 
and  the  naked  black  legs  of  the  prince  of  the  tiller.  If  the 
wind  blows  from  the  north  he  keeps  to  the  tiller  the  live- 
long night,  and  always  while  the  boat  is  in  motion  he  is 
there  smoking  his  chibouque,  or  scooping  out  his  little  dish 
of  stewed  bread  and  beans  with  one  hand  upon  the  tiller. 


40 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


No,  not  always ; for  twice  a day  or  oftener  does  Hassan 
summon  a sailor  to  his  post,  then  reverently  descending  the 
stern  of  the  boat,  he  washes  his  feet,  and,  returning  to  the 
quarter-deck,  faces  the  east,  and  bows  and  prostrates  himself 
toward  the  tomb  of  the  prophet.  In  all  this,  he  shows  the 
seriousness  of  a deep  conviction,  and  the  absorption  of  a 
rapt  devotion ; but  if  meanwhile  the  boat  gets  off  her 
course,  his  prayers  ended,  he  grasps  the  tiller,  and  shouts  to 
the  men  with  an  energy  which  shows  that  with  all  his 
fatalism  he  holds  that  “ faith  without  works  is  dead.”  Most 
devout  is  Ilassan  of  all  the  crew.  Like  the  shepherd  of 
Salisbury  Plain,  he  meekly  expects  to-morrow  such  wind  as 
Allah  may  please  to  send.  We  tried,  through  our  drago- 
man, to  offer  him  some  inducements  to  go  to  America,  but 
his  answer  was  that  he  was  “ too  religious ! ” 

The  twelve  men  composing  the  crew,  are  of  all  ages, 
sizes,  and  sorts,  but  chiefly  Arabs  blind  of  one  bye,  or 
maimed  of  a forefinger,  so  as  to  avoid  impressment  for  the 
army ; — for  how  can  a man  take  sight  if  his  right  eye  is 
gone,  or  how  pull  trigger  if  the  forefinger  of  his  right  hand 
is  wanting  ? — but  they  work  well  together,  and  are  as  jolly 
as  the  nature  of  the  Arab  will  allow.  Their  usual  working 
dress  consists  of  a coarse  cotton  shirt  descending  to  the 
knees,  and  tied  loosely  about  the  waist.  When  the  weather 
is  cold,  that  is,  when  the  thermometer  is  about  fifty  degrees, 
they  put  on  over  this  a loose  mantle  of  blue  cotton,  or  of 
the  coarse  brown  woollen  cloth  of  the  country ; they  wear 
nothing  below  the  knees,  and  on  their  heads,  in  lieu  of  the 
turban,  they  wear  the  common  tarbouch  of  red  felt,  or  the 
still  plainer  takeea , a close  fitting  skullcap  of  cotton  gr 
woollen  cloth.  Their  dress  is  suited  not  only  to  the  climate, 
but  also  to  the  navigation  of  the  Nile,  in  many' of  whose 
operations  clothes  would  be  a serious  incumbrance.  Not  a 
native  on  board  regularly  sports  a pah*  of  shoes  except  the 


A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 


41 


professor  culinaire , who  moves  delicately  from  the  store- 
chest  to  the  caboose,  in  red  morocco  slippers  with  pointed 
toes  ; and  he  alone  displays  a vest  of  silk,  embroidered  with 
threads  of  gold.  Only  on  great  occasions,  when  stopping 
for  a day  at  some  chief  town,  do  the  men  bag  themselves, 
and  roll  endless  folds  of  cotton  about  their  heads,  and  put  on 
huge  coarse-grained  red  shoes,  and  then,  too,  the  re  is  and 
Hassan  having  enveloped  their  heads  in  coils  of  purest  white, 
grafted  upon  the  crimson  takeea , loom  majestically  in  red 
slippers  of  pointed  toes. 

Once  I saw  Hassan  bargaining  with  a peddling  merchant 
who  visited  our  boat,  — (all  oriental  merchants  are  a sort 
of  peddlers,  and  hence  the  name  Hawagee  “merchant,”  is 
applied  to  all  travellers,)  — for  a piece  of  common  cotton 
cloth,  evidently  of  English  or  American  manufacture.  Next 
day  the  wind  was  ahead,  and  the  boat  laid  by  ; but  Hassan 
was  not  idle ; all  day  long  he  sat  by  his  favorite  tiller, 
cutting  and  stitching ; he  hardly  stopped  for  the  dish  of 
lentils  and  bread  that  was  brought  to  him  from  the  mess  on 
deck ; but  before  evening,  I saw  his  fat  black  arms  and  legs 
emerging  from  a robe  of  spotless  white.  It  was  his  only 
garment,  but,  set  off  by  a red  turban,  it  became  him  admira- 
bly, and  in  make  and  fit  it  would  have  done  credit  to  any 
“ Dorcas  Society,”  or  “ Ladies’  Sewing  Circle,”  not  to  say 
any  “ Patent  Sewing  Machine,”  in  the  United  States. 
Indeed  the  sculptured  toga  of  the  Roman  senator  is  not 
more  graceful  than  the  flowing  kirtle  of  the  Nubian  steers- 
man. After  all,  Hassan  can  “ do  ” upon  twelve  and  a half 
cents  a day,  with  corn-bread  and  lentils,  and  a cotton  shirt 
made  by  his  own  hands.  I forgot  to  say  that  two  piastres 
and  a half,  or  about  twelve  and  a half  cents  a day,  is  the  pay 
of  the  hands  on  board  the  boat,  the  captain  having  double 
wages.  While  the  owners  of  the  boat  receive  nearly  eight 
dollars  a day  — an  extravagant  price,  to  which  at  the  time 
4* 


42 


EGYPT,  TAST  AND  PRESENT. 


we  had  to  submit  — the  pay  of  the  officers  and  men  all  told 
is  hardly  two  dollars  a day. 

In  their  living,  the  crew  have  a perfect  community 
of  goods.  As  they  are  obliged  to  “find  themselves”  out 
of  their  slender  wages,  it  is  an  object  with  them  to  study 
economy.  One  of  their  number  acts  as  purser  and  cook; 
and  it  is  an  indication  of  the  generous  traits  of  the  Arabian 
character,  that  they  have  selected  for  this  office,  one  who  is 
somewhat  deformed,  and  not  capable  of  heavy  work.  Their 
principal  diet  is  bread  made  from  very  coarse  wheat.  Some- 
times they  buy  this  ready  made,  at  the  principal  villages, 
but  to  save  expense  they  commonly  buy  the  grain,  and  have 
it  ground  and  baked  to  order,  or  grind  and  bake  it  them- 
selves. Hence  it  is  always  stipulated  in  the  hiring  of  a 
boat  that  the  crew  shall  be  allowed  time,  — about  thirty-six 
hours,  — at  certain  places,  to  bake  their  bread.  Once  or 
twice,  in  order  to  take  advantage  of  a wind,  we  have  paid 
them  the  difference  between  baking  and  buying  a three  days’ 
stock  of  bread,  — about  two  dollars,  or  one  day’s  wages  for 
the  crew.  Their  meals  are  all  prepared  in  one  dish,  and 
with  little  variation.  Their  steward  takes  a quantity  of  the 
black  bread,  that  has  been  cut  into  small  pieces  and  dried  in 
the  sun,  and  lays  it  in  the  bottom  of  a wooden  bowl,  holding 
from  six  to  eight  gallons.  He  then  dips  up  a jar  of  muddy 
water  from  the  river,  and  pours  this  over  it  to  cleanse  it  and 
soften  it.  Next  he  adds  a few  hard  brown  beans  or  lentils, 
— a kind  of  split  pea,  — or  perhaps  throws  in  a few  onions 
or  greens,  with  a little  salt.  The  whole  is  then  put  into  an 
iron  pot,  and  stirred  over  the  fire  till  it  is  reduced  to  the 
consistency  of  a bran  poultice,  when  it  is  poured  back  into 
the  wooden  bowl.  This  is  then  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
deck,  or  if  the  boat  is  tied  up,  it  is  set  upon  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  the  men  squat  in  a circle  about  it,  and  each  dips 
in  his  . hand  and  eats  by  the  fist  full,  carefully  sucking  his 


A NILE  BOAT  AND  CREW. 


43 


fingers.  When  the  bowl  is  emptied,  a jar  of  muddy  water 
is  passed  round,  and  each  man  rinses  his  mouth  and  takes  a 
drink.  This  is  the  meal  at  morning  and  at  evening.  At 
noon  they  lunch  apart,  upon  dry  bread  and  raw  onions ; but 
the  onions  of  Egypt  are  long,  white,  tender,  and  sweet.  A 
piece  of  sugar-cane  is  a great  luxury.  They  always  seem 
to  enjoy  their  meal.  Whenever  I have  chanced  to  be  a 
spectator,  they  have  smacked  their  lips  and  cried  “ buono” 
“ te'ieb  ,”  and  have  invited  me  to  partake  with  them,  which  I 
did  — once  ! They  eat  no  flesh  except  on  great  occasions. 
At  three  or  four  principal  towns  along  the  river  it  is  cus- 
tomary for  the  voyagers  to  give  the  crew  a backshish  — a 
present  — in  the  shape  of  a sheep,  or  which  is  better, 
of  money  to  the  value  of  a sheep,  with  which  they  buy 
fish,  mutton,  or  what  they  list.  But  buy  what  they  will,  it 
all  goes  into  the  pot  together,  is  reduced  to  one  consistency, 
and  then  eaten  by  the  fist  full  from  the  wooden  bowl. 
Sometimes  the  re  is  and  Hassan  have  their  meals  in  smaller 
bowls  apart,  sometimes  they  sit  together  with  the  rest. 
After  each  meal  comes  the  pipe,  or  more  strictly,  the  pipe 
which  had  been  laid  aside  for  the  meal,  is  resumed  as  soon 
as  this  is  finished.  Smoking  is  to  the  Arab  what  coffee,  tea, 
and  other  stimulants  are  to  the  Anglo-Saxon : it  is  a great 
part  of  his  nourishment.  His  tobacco  is  mild,  plenty,  cheap, 
and  is  his  greatest  comfort. 

In  point  of  character  these  Arab  sailors  are  altogether 
superior  to  American  sailors  or.  boatmen  who  are  not 
pledged  teetotalers.  I would  rather  trust  myself  with  them, 
ten  times  over,  than  with  such  crews  as  I have  seen  upon 
the  Mississippi.  They  are  not  wickedly  profane,  though 
they  sometimes  in  sport  invoke  the  prophet’s  curse  upon  a 
passing  boat.  They  are  not  passionate,  for  though  a storm 
of  words  would  sometimes  indicate  great  wrath,  they  seldom 
come  to  blows.  They  have  no  strong  drink  of  any  kind  on 


44 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


board  the  boat,  and  only  once  or  twice  have  I seen  any 
of  them  drink  drahee  (date-brandy)  or  beer,  at  some  of  the 
larger  towns.  The  coffee-shop  takes  the  place  of  the 
dram-shop,  and  the  chief  indulgence  of  sailors  on  shore 
seems  to  be,  lounging  about  a coffee-shop,  sipping  coffee  and 
smoking  the  pipe.  The  sailors  on  the  Nile  are  not,  as  is  too 
often  true  of  American  sailors  and  boatmen,  a degraded  and 
vicious  set  of  men.  In  dress  and  appearance  they  are 
superior  to  the  fellahs  or  common  field  laborers.  Though 
looked  down  upon  as  an  inferior  class,  they  are  respectable, 
wellbehaved,  frugal  of  their  money,  and  comparatively  free 
from  the  grosser  forms  of  wickedness.  The  crew  of  the 
Lotus  seem  part  and  parcel  of  the  family. 


CHAPTER  V. 


NAVIGATION,  VILLAGES,  BAZAAR,  HOUSES,  AND  CHILDREN. 

It  is  difficult  to  convey  to  one  familiar  only  with  American 
rivers  a definite  idea  of  the  navigation  of  the  Nile.  There 
is  no  river  in  the  United  States  that  corresponds  with  it. 
Like  the  Mississippi,  the  Nile  has  a rapid  current  — about 
three  miles  an  hour  — and  its  channel  is  continually  chang- 
ing. But  the  Nile  has  no  bluffs,  — though  sometimes  the 
banks  rise  some  twenty  feet  above  the  highest  watermark, 
— and  it  has  no  wooded  islands  or  bottoms,  and  no  snags  or 
sawyers. 

In  the  Delta  the  soil  varies  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in 
depth,  and  during  the  inundation  this  whole  section  is  over- 
flowed — the  villages  being  protected  by  embankments,  and 
communication  being  kept  up  by  means  of  boats.  The 
Delta  is  a triangular  piece  of  land  comprised  within  the 
Rosetta  and  the  Damietta  branches  of  the  Nile,  the  only 
two  that  remain  of  the  original  six  or  seven  mouths  of  the 
river.  The  base  of  this  triangle  on  the  sea-coast  is  eighty- 
one  miles  ; but  it  is  very  narrow  at  its  apex,  where  the 
Nile  divides  into  its  two  branches.  The  Delta  contains 
about  two  thousand  square  miles.  The  northern  district 
of  Egypt,  extending  from  the  pyramids  to  the  sea,  and 
embracing  the  Delta  with  the  arable  ground  upon  either  side 
of  it,  contains  four  thousand  five  hundred  square  miles  — a 
surface  equal  to  the  State  of  Connecticut,  or  one  tenth  the 


46 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


size  of  New  York.  “ The  Nile  marks  on  either  side  the 
extent  of  fertility  by  the  measure  of  its  inundations.” 

We  entered  the  Rosetta  branch  at  Atfeh.  At  this  season 
this  branch  varies  from  one  half  to  three  quarters  of  a mile 
in  width,  and  in  some  parts  it  is  exceedingly  shallow  and 
obstructed  by  sand-banks,  new  formed  islands,  or  large 
alluvial  deposits  upon  either  hand.  Unlike  the  Mississippi, 
it  receives  no  tributary  for  more  than  a thousand  miles  from 
its  mouth.  The  Nile  is  navigable  only  for  boats  of  fifty  or 
sixty  tons,  and  drawing  from  three  to  five  feet  of  water ; 
and  all  the  river  boats  are  built  with  reference  to  the  canal. 
The  only  craft  upon  the  river,  are  a few  steamboats  of 
small  dimensions,  belonging  to  the  government  or  to  the 
Transportation  Company,  and  employed  chiefly  in  its  ser- 
vice, pleasure-boats  or  travelling-boats  such  as  I have 
described,  and  freight-boats  built  upon  the  same  scale  for 
carrying  corn,  cotton,  and  earthen-ware. 

In  going  up  the  river  every  thing  depends  upon  a north 
wind.  Without,  this  but  little  headway  can  be  made  against 
the  current.  Sometimes  this  wind  blows  almost  a hurricane, 
and  blowing  against  the  current  lashes  the  river  into  a 
tumult  that  revives  the  disagreeable  sensation  of  sea-sick- 
ness. Then  the  boat  bounds  along  at  the  rate  of  five  or  six 
miles  an  hour,  while  the  current  deludes  you  into  the  notion 
that  it  is  running  eight  or  ten ; but  if  such  a wind  holds,  two 
or  three  days  will  carry  you  to  Cairo,  and  ten  or  fifteen  more 
to  Thebes.  But  do  not  deceive  yourself  with  any  such 
expectation.  The  “ Lotus”  started  from  Alexandria  with 
such  a wind,  and  made  one  fourth  the  distance  to  Cairo  the ' 
first  afternoon,  but  it  was  nine  days  before  she  reached  the 
“ Magnificent  ” capital.  Again  she  left  Cairo  with  such  a 
wind,  and  as  the  pyramids  faded,  Karnac  loomed  up  only 
ten  days  ahead,  yet  it  was  twenty-seven  days  before  we  sa\^ 
any  other  than  a looming  Karnac.  The  average  voyage  to 


NAVIGATION. 


47 


Cairo  is  four  days,  and  from  there  to  Thebes  twenty.  We 
were  thirty-eight  days  from  Alexandria  to  Thebes,  about  six 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  including  a stay  of  two  days  at 
Cairo,  and  a day  and  a half  at  Denderah.  In  all  that  time 
we  had  but  three  or  four  days  of  the  north  wind,  which  at 
this  season  is  said  to  prevail.  When  there  is  no  wind,  the 
boat  can  be  impelled  against  the  current  only  by  pulling  — 
not  with  oars,  for  these  are  useless  in  going  up  stream  — but 
with  a long  rope  which  passes  through  a loop  about  thirty 
feet  up  the  mast,  and  is  fastened  to  the  upper  deck  near  the 
tiller.  This  rope  is  taken  ashore,  and  the  crew  attach  to  it 
small  cords,  which  they  bind  about  their  breasts  or  foreheads, 
and  then  march  wearily  in  procession,  chanting  doleful  songs, 
and  making  four  or  five  miles  a day.  Sometimes  a light 
wind  assists  this  towing,  but  it  is  tedious  work.  When  the 
wind  is  ahead,  as  with  us  it  often  was  — the  south  wind 
prevailing  — it  is  hardly  possible  to  proceed  at  all,  for  the 
tortuous  channel  of  the  Nile  does  not  admit  of  “ beating,” 
and  the  boat  must  lie  by.  A huge  wooden  pin,  driven  into 
the  ground  by  a mallet,  answers  the  purpose  of  a temporary 
pier,  and  as  there  are  no  wharves  along  the  Nile,  every  boat 
carries  its  own  peg.  Coming  down  the  stream  the  boat 
either  sails  by  the  south  wind,  using  the  small  sail  only  for 
safety,  floats  along  with  the  current,  stern  foremost,  broad- 
side, anywise,  or  is  propelled  by  the  oars  as  long  as  the 
strength  of  the  crew  holds  out ; but  when  the  north  wind 
blows  stiffly  she  must  be  tied  up  to  her  peg  for  hours  or 
days. 

At  first  one  is  ready  to  impute  the  dilatory  progress 
of  the  boat  to  the  indolence  or  the  incompetence  of  the  reis 
and  crew.  And  undoubtedly  these  have  it  in  their  power 
in  various  ways  to  retard  the  boat  for  their  own  interest. 
With  them  time  is  nothing;  and  the  leisurely  occupation 
of  a long  voyage  relieves  the  monotony  of  utter  idleness  at 


48 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


home,  while  it  yields  a daily  support  and  the  scanty  means 
of  dress  and  of  amusement.  The  traveller  should  retain  in 
his  own  hands  the  authoritative  direction  of  the  boat.  I 
-have  never  seen  more  nimble  sailors  than  the  Arabs  are 
when  acting  under  authority. 

But  after  all,  the  Nile  must  continue  to  be  navigated  at 
about  the  same  dull  rate.  The  same  process  of  tracking 
and  poling  is  delineated  in  the  sculptures  of  ancient  Egypt. 

Parties  sometimes  charter  a small  steamer  for  the  upper 
Nile.  This  is  well  enough  for  travellers  who  are  greatly 
pressed  for  time.  But  in  order  to  bring  the  expenses 
within  reasonable  limits,  such  a party  must  be  made  larger 
than  is  consistent  with  comfort  in  such  narrow  accommoda- 
tions, or  larger  at  least  than  will  admit  of  proper  privacy 
and  independence.  Then  there  is  the  constant  annoyance 
of  heat,  vapors,  gas,  and  noise ; and  besides,  the  loss  of 
much  that  is  worthy  of  observation  along  the  river,  — for 
the  steamboat  stops  only  at  prominent  points,  and  does  not 
give  opportunities  for  daily  walks,  and  for  the  near  inspec- 
tion of  fields  and  villages. 

It  would  avail  but  little  to  sharpen  the  model  of  the 
dahabeeh , for  the  windings  of  the  river  and  the  numerous 
sand-bars  preclude  tacking  and  beating  as  expedients  for 
progress.  Besides,  a sharp  built  boat  carrying  much  sail, 
would  be  apt  to  capsize  in  the  sudden  flaws  and  whirlwinds 
that  sweep  over  the  river.  As  the  waters  of  the  inunda- 
tion subside,  the  forming  of  new  islands,  the  opening  of  new 
sluices,  and  the  shrinking  of  the  main  channel,  make  it 
difficult  for  those  most  familiar  with  the  river  to  avoid 
running  aground.  This  is  a very  frequent  occurrence ; but 
one  for  which  the  sailors  are  fully  prepared.  Throwing 
aside  their  single  garment,  they  leap  overboard  like  dogs, 
and  in  puris  naturalibus  apply  their  shoulders  to  the  bow, 
and  with  a hee-haly-saw  shove  and  shove  until  the  boat  is 


l 


VILLAGES. 


49 


afloat  again.  American  sailors  would  not  consent  to  such 
work  as  this,  or  to  such  a style  of  dress  as  it  requires. 
But  theoretical  boating  will  not  answer  here.  And  if  the 
navigation  of  the  Nile  should  be  “ improved,”  and  light 
clipper  yachts  should  take  the  place  of  the  dahabeeh , who 
would  care  to  visit  the  river  of  Egypt?  Herein  at  least 
we  must  do  as  Egyptians  do. 

I have  spoken  of  a Nile  village  as  a picture ; let  me  now 
introduce  the  reader  to  one  as  it  is.  The  first  that  I 
explored  was  a very  favorable  specimen,  the  village  of 
Negeeleh  in  the  Delta.  The  houses  are  built  of  bricks 
made  of  the  mud  of  the  Nile  mixed  with  straw,  just  as  it 
was  in  the  time  of  Moses,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  Each 
house  is  but  one  story,  or  about  ten  feet  in  height,  and 
consists  usually  of  a court  or  yard  a few  feet  square,  and 
of  two  apartments,  one  of  which  has  a mud  chimney  for 
cooking,  and  the  other,  raised  benches  of  mud  brick,  upon 
which  mats  are  spread  for  sitting  by  day  and  for  sleeping 
by  night.  There  are  also  mats  upon  the  roof  for  the 
same  purpose.  In  the  yard  the  “ stock,”  cows,  camels, 
sheep,  goats,  donkeys^  are  huddled  by  night,  and  the  place 
is  redolent  of  their  ordure.  Each  house  has  one  or  more 
dog,  which  lies  about  the  door  or  on  the  roof,  and  yelps 
hideously  at  the  approach  of  a stranger.  In  this  village 
the  houses  are  arranged  in  rectangular  blocks,  and  the 
streets  are  about  eight  feet  wide.  No  wheeled  vehicle  ever 
passes  through  them.  Indeed,  except  at  Alexandria  and 
Cairo,  there  is  not  a wheeled  vehicle  in  all  Egypt,  and  it  is 
only  within  a few  years  that  carriages  have  been  introduced 
into  these  cities.  All  burdens  are  carried  on  the  backs  of 
donkeys  or  of  camels.  Outside  of  the  village  lie  heaps 
of  rubbish  and  filth  — the  common  deposit  of  the  inhabi- 
tants ; and  here,  too,  are  larger  folds'  for  the  cattle  that 
cannot  be  accommodated  in  the  house-yards.  Along  the 
5 


50 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


river  is  a bazaar,  in  front  of  which  is  a rude  garden  planted 
with  acanthus  trees.  The  bazaar  is  a row  of  stalls,  each 
about  six  feet  square,  sometimes  not  more  than  three  feet 
front,  in  which  the  stock  of  the  village  merchants  is 
deposited  under  lock  by  night,  and  in  front  of  which  it  is 
exposed  for  sale  by  day.  The  bazaar  everywhere  wears  the 
same  general  character.  In  Cairo,  of  course,  it  presents  a 
rich  display  of  goods,  and  covers  an  extensive  area. 

In  all  the  larger  towns  it  occupies  several  of  the  little 
winding  alleys  called  streets ; but  each  particular  shop  is 
of  the  same  diminutive  size,  and  the  entire  stock  of  a 
bazaar  in  a town  of  ten  or  twenty  thousand  inhabitants, 
would  hardly  fill  a respectable  store  on  Broadway.  The 
standard  articles  exposed  for  sale  are  tobacco,  lentils,  bread 
in  flat  loaves  as  big  as  one’s  hand,  pipes  and  pipe  bowls, 
little  coffee-cups,  onions,  dates,  slippers,  shawls,  and  turbans. 
Occasionally  you  will  find  articles  of  beauty  or  of  delicacy, 
but  usually  every  alternate  stall  is  for  tobacco  or  bread,  and 
interspersed  with  these  are  coffee-shops  occupying  the  space 
of  two  or  three  stalls. 

The  bazaar  at  Negeeleh  has  about  forty  stalls ; in  front 
of  each,  the  proprietor  squats  upon  his  haunches,  smoking 
his  pipe  or  sipping  his  coffee,  and  waiting  for  a customer. 
Two  or  three  dollars  a day  must  be  the  extent  of  business 
done  at  one  of  these  stalls  on  an  average,  even  on  a market- 
day  ; — twenty-five  cents  profit  would  doubtless  be  consid- 
ered a good  day’s  business,  even  in  many  of  the  larger 
towns.  In  front  of  the  bazaar  a few  women  veiled  with  the 
universal  yashmak  sat  with  little  piles  of  bread  or  a few 
beans,  eggs,  or  oranges  for  sale,  rarely  accosting  any  one, 
and  hardly  exposing  their  faces  when  addressed. 

In  one  quarter  of  the  village  is  a little  open  square 
planted  with  palm-trees,  and  on  one  side  of  this  a diminu- 
tive mosque  with  a slender  minaret — a round  tapering  tower 


THE  ORANGE  GIRL. 


I 


BAZAAR  AND  IIOUSES. 


51 


of  brick  stuccoed,  surrounded  with  tiers  of  galleries,  and 
terminating  in  a ball  pointed  with  a three-pronged  rod. 
There  is  no  bell  in  the  mosque-tower,  but  from  these  galleries 
the  hour  of  prayer  is  called  in  a shrill  waving  voice  that 
resounds  far  over  the  plain.*  In  all  Egypt  I never  heard 
a bell  of  any  size  or  kind,  except  two  little  tinkling  cow-bells 
attached  to  Roman  Catholic  convents  far  up  the  Nile.  What 
a contrast  to  the  perpetual  din  and  clash  in  Malta,  and 
everywhere  in  Italy. 

The  village  I have  described  was  an  average  specimen. 
Sometimes  the  houses  are  the  merest  hovels  with  but  one 
room,  and  a hole  about  two  and  a half  feet  high,  that 
answers  for  a door.  Yet  even  here  the  poor  man’s  goat  or 
sheep,  or  the  donkey  that  earns  a living  for  the  family  while 
he  eats  nothing  himself,  sleeps  in  the  common  inclosure. 
On  the  upper  Nile  the  houses  often  have  a mere  roofing 
of  twisted  palm  leaves,  for  in  a climate  where  rain  never 
falls,  they  need  protection  only  from  the  sun.  Sometimes 
the  palm  is  gracefully  disposed  among  the  houses.  In  the 
largest  towns  are  many  houses  of  a better  quality,  built 
of  burnt  brick,  two  or  three  stories  high,  with  windows  and 
balconies,  and  interior  courts  open  to  the  air.  But  the 
streets  are  seldom  more  than  from  six  to  eight  feet  wide, 
and  are  seldom  as  regular  as  at  Negeeleh ; the  houses  are 
crowded  together  very  compactly,  and  the  bazaar,  though  it 
may  cover  a range  of  a mile,  is  lined  only  with  the  same 
little  shops.  In  such  towns  there  are  gates  at  the  entrances 
of  all  the  principal  streets  or  quarters,  which  are  closed  at 
night.  Towns  built  on  the  confines  of  the  desert,  are 
usually  surrounded  with  a crude  brick  wall  mounted  with  a 
palisade  of  cornstalks,  to  protect  them  from  the  predatory 

* Al-ld-hu  alc-bar,  Alld-hu  ccJc-bar , Al-ld-liu  aJc-bar,  Al-la-  - - - - 7m 
ak-bar. 


52 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Arabs.  Occasionally  you  will  see  a rude  ornament  in  tlie 
shape  of  a piece  of  painted  pottery,  or  some  Arabic  inscrip- 
tion, plastered  over  the  door  way ; but  the  most  pleasing 
feature  of  the  villages,  is  the  pigeon-houses  everywhere 
seen  along  the  upper  Nile.  Sometimes  these  are  huge 
round  or  square  towers  built  apart  from  the  village,  and 
having  their  walls  perforated  with  earthen  pots,  through 
which  the  birds  enter  by  thousands ; but  commonly  they  are 
appendages  of  the  dwellings  of  the  people.  The  squabs  are 
caught  inside  the  cote,  and  eaten  or  sold.  Pigeons  and 
chickens  are  very  abundant  on  the  Nile,  and  the  boats  make 
quite  a market  for  them. 

The  mud  brick  of  which  the  houses  are  generally  built, 
is  a material  of  sufficient  strength  and  durability,  and  if 
painted  or  whitewashed,  houses  of  this  material  would  be 
quite  neat  and  comfortable.  The  narrowness  of  the  streets 
and  the  thickness  of  the  walls  favor  coolness,  and  the  bazaar 
streets  are  usually  covered  with  boards  or  palm  leaves  as  a 
protection  against  the  sun.  There  is  a great  want  of  clean- 
liness in  the  villages  and  in  the  houses  ; but  in  large  towns^ 
the  bazaar  is  daily  swept,  and  is  sprinkled  from  skins  filled 
with  water  and  carried  under  the  arm. 

The  sorriest  sight  in  an  Arab  village  is  the  children. 
Boys  ten  or  twelve  years  old  are  often  seen  stark  naked, 
with  the  exception  of  a little  skullcap,  while  younger  urchins- 
sport  a string  of  beads  upon  the  simple  apparel  nature  gave 
them  when  they  came  into  the  world.  But  this  nudity  of 
nature  soon  ceases  to  offend  you  as  does  the  studied  nudity 
of  Italian  art,  for  you  see  it  everywhere  ; the  laborer  on  the 
canal,  in  the  brick  field,  among  tlie  sugar-cane,  and  at  the 
shadoof,  takes  lessons  in  tailoring  from  our  first  father  ; yet, 
with  the  natives,  this  is  a matter  of  course,  and  so  the 
traveller  comes  to  disregard  it.  Indeed  this  scantiness  of 
apparel  seems  to  be  a result  of  sheer  poverty;  for  often 


CHILDREN. 


53 


when  you  are  sweltering  with  the  heat,  the  Egyptian  will 
wrap  his  woollen  garment  close  about  him,  if  this  is  all  he 
has.  It  is  not  the  mere  nakedness  of  the  children  that 
annoys  you ; but  their  squalor,  and  the  shiftless  condition  in 
which  they  seem  to  grow  up  ; and  especially  the  swarms 
of  flies  that  cover  their  eyes,  noses,  mouths,  ears,  and  turn 
their  faces  into  running  sores.  This  is  probably  one  cause 
of  ophthalmia,  the  plague  of  Egypt. 

The  heads  of  the  boys  are  shaved,  and  covered  with  little 
caps.  The  little  girls  are  always  clad  in  some  way,  and  the 
boys  don’t  seem  to  know  the  difference.  Indeed  children 
will  be  happy  somehow,  and  it  is  a blessed  thing  that  they 
can  be.  But  oh  for  Sabbath  schools  and  boys’  meetings  in 
this  land  of  degradation ! It  is  the  thought  of  what  these 
naked  sore-eyed  urchins  are  to  be  in  their  condition  here, 
and  their  destiny  hereafter,  that  makes  your  eyes  water  and 
your  heart  bleed  as  you  look  upon  them  ; — for  just  now, 
that  destitute  and  crying  child,  whose  mother  soothes  it 
under  the  folds  of  her  own  soiled  and  tattered  mantle,  may 
be  more  favored  than  the  best  dressed  and  tended  child  that 
no  longer  knows  a mother’s  love. 


5* 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OCCUPATIONS  OF  THE  PEOPLE WATER  JARS PRODUC- 
TIONS  TILLAGE THE  SHADOOF  AND  THE  SAKIA. 

The  occupations  of  people  on  the  Nile  are  very  simple. 
Those  who  keep  shop  in  the  bazaar,  have  little  else  to  do 
but  sit  on  their  haunches,  smoke  pipes,  and  sip  coffee. 
Walking  through  the  bazaar  soon  after  sunrise,  you  see  the 
baker  busy  at  liis  oven  — a little  round-topped  mud  oven  ^,t 
his  door,  which  he  heats  with  brush  or  dried  dung,  and  into 
which  he  lays,  on  iron  plates,  the  thin  cakes  which  he  slaps 
out  with  fingers  dipped  in  melted  butter ; you  see  the  barber 
shaving,  not  chins,  but  heads ; you  see  the  veiled  women 
squatting  on  the  ground  beside  their  little  stock  of  eggs, 
bread,  lentils,  onions,  and  white  unsalted  butter;  and  you 
see  the  coffee-shops  with  their  tiny  cups  all  ready  for  use ; — 
but  the  “ merchant  princes  ” have  not  yet  come  “ down 
town,”  and  their  stalls  are  unopened.  You  meet  no  news- 
boy or  letter  carrier,  but  perhaps  a janissary,  who,  if  he 
does  not  look  daggers  at  you,  thrusts  them  out  from  his  belt 
in  formidable  conjunction  with  a horse  pistol. 

Later  in  the  day  you  will  find  all  the  little  stalls  open ; 
but  if  you  would  appreciate  the  scene,  imagine  Wall  street 
at  one  o’clock,  instead  of  being  thronged  with  jabbering 
brokers  and  hurrying  bank  clerks,  lined  on  both  sides  with 
gowned  and  turbaned  men  sitting  on  their  haunches,  before 
little  stalls  like  that  of  the  soap  man  who  used  to  stand  on 
the  steps  of  the  Exchange,  smoking  pipes,  drinking  coffee, 


OCCUPATIONS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


55 


and — not  reading  newspapers,  but  playing  chess  or  draughts 
with  as  much  nonchalance  as  if  each  man  owned  the  town, 
while  all  around  the  little  coffee-shops,  or  on  the  divans 
under  the  shade  of  palm-leaf  mats  stretched  over  the  street, 
the  retired  merchant  sits  languidly  discussing  neither  stocks, 
estates,  nor  politics,  but  pipes,  coffee,  and  draughts,  (not 
drafts.)  Your  constant  wonder  is  how  so  many  lazy  people 
contrive  to  live ; and  yet  so  far  as  the  mere  living  is  con- 
cerned, they  probably  understand  the  art,  and  take  the 
comfort  of  it  far  better  than  you. 

At  about  five  o’clock  nearly  all  the  little  stalls  are  closed, 
and  the  people  gone  — I do  n’t  know  where.  They  are  not 
riding  in  their  carriages,  for  there  are  none ; they  are  not 
walking  in  the  gardens  nor  in  the  promenades,  for  there  are 
none ; they  have  not  gone  to  balls,  theatres,  or  concerts,  for 
there  are  none ; they  have  not  taken  the  ferry,  the  railway, 
or  the  omnibus  to  their  country-seats,  for  there  are  none 
of  all  these  ; and  yet  you  can  hardly  imagine  that  all  these 
turbaned  dignitaries,  with  red  slippers  and  silk  shawls,  are 
cooped  in  the  little  mud  houses  one  or  two  stories  high  that 
encompass  the  bazaar  and  make  up  the  town.  Here  and 
there  you  meet  a portable  blacksmith’s  shop  — a tiny  fur- 
nace and  a pair  of  bellows  or  a fan  rigged  up  on  the  side 
of  the  street ; or  you  see  a silk  weaver  with  his  hand-loom 
preparing  the  exquisite  braid  of  crimson  silk,  with  which 
even  the  sailor  delights  to  ornament  his  cotton  shawl. 

The  greater  part  of  the  day  everybody  seems  to  live 
out  of  doors ; and  around  every  village  you  will  see  groups 
of  men,  some  well  dressed,  some  ill  dressed,  sunning  them- 
selves in  the  morning,  and  at  noon  the  same  groups  shading 
themselves  under  the  palms  — after  which  I suppose  they 
go  home  to  rest.  I don’t  know  who  they  are,  nor  how  they 
get  their  living ; and  I suppose  that  is  none  of  my  business ; 
only  the  sight  of  them  sometimes  makes  me  laugh,  and 


56 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


sometimes  makes  me  cross,  because  they  don’t  offer  to  help 
the  poor  women  with  their  water  jars.  They  have  nothing 
to  read,  and  they  seldom  talk ; but  sit  on  their  haunches, 
and  smoke,  smoke,  smoke.  I don’t  know  but  they  are 
transacting  important  business  ; I don’t  know  but  they  are 
making  friendly  calls,  but  it  looks  very  much  like  doing 
nothing  ; and  neither  dogs  nor  fleas  appear  to  trouble  them. 
Now  and  then,  as  you  walk  through  a narrow  village  street, 
you  hear  the  creaking  of  a great  wheel,  and  prying  in  at 
the  door  crack,  you  see  half  a dozen  women  with  little 
baskets  of  grain  upon  a mud  floor,  all  bemired  with  filth, 
while  a blinded  buffalo  turns  the  rude  mill  to  grind  their 
little  store. 

Outside  of  the  villages,  a principal  occupation  of  the 
people  is  the  tending  of  flocks,  and  it  is  a picturesque  and 
beautiful  sight  at  sunrise  to  see  streaming  forth  ffom  a 
village  over  the  neighboring  plain,  camels,  cows,  oxen, 
sheep,  and  goats,  — sometimes  a few  of  each  grouped 
together,  — and  then  to  watch  them  as  they  are  distributed 
upon  the  little  patches  of  grass  or  grain  belonging  to  their 
several  owners,  where  they  are  made  fast  to  pegs  in  the 
ground,  — for  there  are  no  fences  — and  left  in  the  care 
of  children,  or  of  old  men  and  women.  These  employ 
themselves  in  spinning  cotton  or  woollen  yarn  for  the  family, 
while  tending  the  flocks  and  herds.  Their  apparatus  for 
this  purpose  is  of  the  most  simple  and  primitive  form. 
The  sketch  is  from  one  that  I bought  out  of  the  hands 
of  an  old  man  who  sat  twisting  his  spindle  in  the  fields  the 
livelong  day.  [See  Plate.] 

At  sunset, 

“ The  lowing  herd  winds  slowly  o’er  the  lea,” 

and  all  the  cattle  are  housed  in  or  near  the  village.  If  one 
would  see  pastoral  life  in  its  primitive  simplicity,  just  as  it 


OCCUPATIONS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


57 


was  in  the  days  of  Abraham,  let  him  come  and  look  over 
the  plains  of  Egypt  upon  such  a scene. 

Yonder  is  a family  tending  a mixed  flock  of  sheep  and 
goats.  The  oldest,  a lad  of  twelve,  has  not  a shred  of 
clothing  except  a little  skullcap ; his  three  little  brothers  are 
in  the  same  predicament,  except  that  the  youngest  is  minus 
the  cap  also,  and  has  a great  string  of  beads  around  his 
neck.  Their  little  sister  is  done  up  in  blue  cotton.  They 
have  a reed  fife,  and  are  as  happy  as  the  lambs  with  which 
they  are  frisking. 

When  a plain  is  very  extensive,  it  is  covered  with  booths, 
such  as  Jacob  built,  to  shelter  the  cattle  and  those  that  tend 
them. 

Of  the  productions  of  the  soil  I have  already  spoken. 
Cotton  is  raised  chiefly  in  the  Delta,  but  though  the  staple  is 
excellent,  the  quantity  is  comparatively  small,  and  Egypt 
can  never  compete  in  this  respect  with  the  southern  States. 
So  we  need  not  dissolve  the  Union  upon  that  account.  Wheat 
is  a great  staple,  and  of  a fair  quality,  though  often  strong. 
While  looking  upon  the  luxuriant  crops  of  wheat,  barley, 
and  beans,  that  even  in  February  are  ripe  for  the  sickle, 
while  others  are  maturing  for  a later  harvest,  it  is  easy  to 
realize  that  Egypt  was  once  the  granary  of  the  world.  I 
do  not  remember  any  prairie  fields  in  the  West  that  would 
compare  with  these  in  the  strength  and  fulness  of  the 
grain.  Large  boat  loads  of  wheat  and  beans  are  passing 
daily  to  Cairo.  Indigo  is  extensively  cultivated,  and  the 
plant  is  soaked  and  beaten  out  in  huge  earthen  pots.  This 
is  quite  a business  in  some  villages.  Tobacco  is  very 
abundant  and  of  a mild  quality. 

The  sugar  manufacture  is  a monopoly  of  the  government, 
and  is  carried  on  upon  a large  scale  along  the  upper  Nile. 
Yast  fields  of  poppies,  beautiful  in  flower,  often  overspread 
the  plains  in  well-planted  rows. 


58 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Of  agriculture , as  we  use  the  term,  the  Egyptians  know 
but  little.  Their  plow  consists  of  a crooked  stick  shod  with 
iron  at  one  end,  and  forked  at  the  other,  and  a tongue  which 
plays  in  this  fork,  and  to  which  the  sharpened  end  is 
fastened  with  a sliding  peg  to  regulate  the  depth  of  the 
furrow.  It  is  the  same  instrument  that  the  sculptures  show 
us  was  in  use  four  thousand  years  ago.  I have  seen  a 
camel  and  a cow  yoked  together  to  such  a plow  as  this. 

I have  never  seen  any  process  of  weeding  or  hoeing, 
though  both  at  times  seem  necessary,  especially  in  the 
tobacco  fields.  The  sickle  is  a rude  knife,  slightly  curved, 
and  as  th6  reaper  cuts,  the  binder  follows,  and  ties  up  the 
grain  in  little  bundles  ; — nor  does  Ruth,  hiding  her  face  in 
hor  yashmak , fail  to  glean  her  apron  full,  after  the  young 
men. 

The  lotus , so  often  represented  in  the  capitals  of  columns 
in  the  ancient  temples,  and  the  papyrus  that  afforded  to  the 
ancient  Egyptians  a material  for  writing,  are  no  longer 
numbered  among  the  productions  of  the  soil.  The  predic- 
tion of  Isaiah,  that  “ the  reeds  and  flags  ....  and  the 
paper  reeds  by  the  brooks”  should  “wither,  be  driven  away, 
and  be  no  more,”  has  been  literally  fulfilled.*  The  general 
productiveness  of  Egypt  must  also  have  decreased  since  the 
sixth  century,  when  it  “exported  each  year  two  hundred 
and  sixty  thousand  quarters  of  wheat  for  the  use  of  Con- 
stantinople,” and  “ a string  of  camels,  laden  with  corn  and 
provisions,  covered  almost  without  an  interval  the  long  road 
from  Memphis  to  Medina.” 

The  one  great  occupation  of  the  country  is  that  of  getting 
the  water  of  the  river  up  into  the  houses,  and  over  the  land. 
The  first  is  the  business  of  the  women.  Nearly  all  the 
water  used  for  drinking  and  for  cooking  is  brought  from  the 


* Isaiah,  xix.  6,  7. 


WATER  JARS. 


59 


Nile,  as  there  are  few  wells  in  the  country.  Every  morning 
you  will  see  the  women  of  the  village  in  long  rows  coming 
down  to  the  river,  each  with  one  or  two  water  jars  to  be 
filled  for  the  day’s  supply.  The  water  jar  is  of  the  ancient 
Egyptian  form,  just  as  sculptured  upon  the  tombs  of  the 
time  of  Joseph  — an  earthen  vessel  bulging  in  the  middle, 
and  narrow  at  top,  holding  from  two  to  ten  gallons.  It  is 
carried  on  the  head,  and  sometimes  a smaller  one  also  in 
the  hand.  The  women  of  the  villages  universally  wear  a 
blue  cotton  garment  unmade,  but  wrapped  about  the  person, 
and  a cotton  headpiece  of  the  same  color,  which  is  fastened 
about  the  forehead,  and  hangs  down  over  the  shoulders,  and 
which  may  be  drawn  closely  about  the  face.  When  they 
come  down  to  the  river,  they  wade  out  into  the  stream,  rinse 
out  their  jars,  and  fill  them  with  the  muddy  water.  They 
then  wash  themselves  and  the  soiled  parts  of  their  apparel, 
and  lifting  the  jar  to  their  heads,  return  in  groups  to  their 
homes.  It  is  astonishing  to  see  them  rise  from  the  ground 
with  a weight  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  pounds  on  top  of  the 
head,  and  without  even  steadying  it  with  the  hand,  climb  up 
a steep  and  crumbling  bank  thirty  feet  high,  and  walk 
briskly  a quarter  of  a mile.  This  gives  them  their  erect 
stature  and  upright  gait,  and  counteracts  the  effect  of  the 
bad  air  of  the  hovels. 

At  first  I used  to  pity  them,  and  to  think  their  condition 
worthy  the  notice  of  some  “Woman’s  Rights”  Convention; 
but  when  I peeped  into  their  houses  and  saw  that  there  were 
no  floors  or  paint  to  scrub,  no  beds  to  make,  no  table  to  set, 
no  knives  and  forks  to  clean,  no  dishes  to  wash,  nothing  but 
two  dirty  rooms  to  be  kept  always  dirty,  and  some  unwashed 
naked  children  to  be  daily  exposed  to  the  sun  and  the  flies, 
I felt  that  carrying  a jug  of  water  once  a day  was  not  a 
very  heavy  badge  of  slavery  for  the  female  sex.  Besides, 
do  they  not  see  all  the  neighbors  at  the  river,  and  talk 
over  all  the  scandal,  or  what  are  they  chattering  about  ? 


60 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Our  cook  boy,  who  is  picking  up  a little  English,  seeing 
me  peering  into  a native  hovel,  said,  “ This,  sleep  the  Arab ” 
And  that  is  pretty  much  the  whole  story.  An  Arab’s  house 
is  the  place  for  sleeping.  He  lives  out  of  doors.  Hence 
the  cares  of  a housewife  are  few.  Yet'  the  domestic  attach- 
ments of  these  poor  people  are  very  strong.  Only  the 
“ Upper  Ten  ” of  the  cities  practice  polygamy.  And 
woman  is  happy  in  Egypt,  even  if  she  does  nothing  but 
carry  a water  jar  on  her  head,  and  a sore-eyed  baby  on  her 
shoulders,  or  in  a basket  on  her  crown. 

I was  greatly  amused  one  day,  at  seeing  a little  girl  not 
over  four  years  old,  strutting  along-side  of  her  mother  with 
a tiny  water  jar  on  her  head,  as  if  she  were  a qew  made 
queen.  I don’t  think  “Women’s  Eights”  could  do  any 
thing  in  this  generation  toward  taking  off  the  burden  from 
the  heads  of  their  sisters  in  Egypt.  The  water  jar  is 
rather  the  prerogative  of  womanhood. 

Except  during  the  season  of  the  inundation  of  the  Nile, 
the  land  is  watered  wholly  by  artificial  means.  I never 
could  fully  comprehend  the  practicability  of  this,  till  I saw 
it  done.  For  six  hundred  miles  south  of  Cairo,  Upper 
Egypt  is  but  a strip  of  alluvium  some  five  or  six  miles  wide, 
deposited  upon  both  sides  of  the  Nile  along  the  edge  of  two 
deserts,  or  the  bases  of  two  parallel  ranges  of  naked  lime- 
stone hills.  In  the  high  Nile  the  river  overflows  nearly  the 
whole  ’of  this,  and  adds  to  its  richness  the  wash  of  the 
Nubian  mountains.  For  the  rest  of  the  year  the  land  is 
watered  from  the  Nile  by  machines  of  various  sorts.  The 
simplest  and  most  common  of  these  is  the  shadoof,  which 
consists  of  a pole  swung  between  two  upright  timbers,  and 
having  a stone  or  a ball  of  mud  at  one  end,  and  a bucket 
of  skin  at  the  other.  A little  trench  is  cut  from  the  river, 
which  feeds  a pool  below  the  level  of  the  stream,  and  from 
this,  the  water  is  dipped  up  by  the  bucket,  and  poured  into 


WOMAN  AND  CHILD. 


— 


SHADOOF  AND  SAKIA. 


61 


another  trench.  If  this  is  at  the  level  of  the  hank,  little 
branches  are  cut  from  it,  or  rather  canals  are  made  by  little 
ridges  of  earth,  and  the  water  is  thus  distributed  over  the 
field;  but  when  the  bank  is  high,  a second  shadoof j and 
sometimes  a third  and  a fourth,  is  erected,  and  the  water  is 
dipped  up  from  trench  to  trench.  This  is  hard  work,  and 
as  each  landholder  must  provide  his  own  shadoof  it  is  the 
principal  work  in  raising  the  crops.  Another  machine  is 
the  sakia : for  this,  a large  deep  well  is  dug,  which  is  fed 
from  the  Nile ; into  this  a wheel,  surrounded  with  earthen 
jars,  is  dipped  by  the  revolution  of  a cog-wheel  moved  by 
oxen,  and  each  jar  in  turn  empties  itself  into  a trench,  like 
the  buckets  of  the  elevator  in  a flour  mill.  The  sakia  is  so 
much  more  expensive  than  the  shadoof  that  only  the  larger 
proprietors,  or  a combination  of  smaller  proprietors,  can 
afford  to  work  it.  All  day  long  the  sakia , which  is  never 
oiled,  creaks  lazily  in  its  round,  and  the  half  clad  laborer  at 
the  shadoof  moans  his  monotonous  song.  In  Egypt  all 
labor  groans. 

It  has  been  computed  that  there  are  in  Egypt  forty 
thousand  sakias , which  would  give  about  four  to  every 
square  mile  of  cultivation.  But  this  seems  to  be  an  over- 
estimate. Many  erected  in  Mohammed  Ali’s  reign,  have 
now  fallen  into  decay.  In  Nubia  each  water-wheel  is 
taxed  about  fifteen  dollars  per  annum,  but  there  is  no  tax 
upon  the  land.  In  Egypt  the  land  is  taxed  about  three 
dollars  per  acre,  which  is  from  ten  to  fifteen  per  cent,  on  its 
cost,  but  there  is  no  tax  on  the  water-wheel.  The  large 
sugar  plantations  of  the  Pasha,  along  the  banks  of  the  Nile, 
as  well  as  the  royal  and  the  public  gardens  at  Cairo,  are 
watered  by  means  of  steam  forcing-pumps.  The  larger 
plains  are  watered  by  great  canals  that  intersect  the  river 
at  various  points,  and  that  are  opened  to  receive  the  waters 
6 


62 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


of  the  inundation,  and  then  are  closed  to  retain  the  waters 
after  the  flood  subsides. 

The  present  inhabitants  of  Egypt,  like  the  ancients, 
divide  the  year  into  three  seasons  of  four  months  each, 
based  upon  the  phenomena  of  nature.  Th«  ancient  divis- 
ions were,  the  “ Season  of  Vegetation,”  the  “ Season  of 
Manifestation,”  and  the  “ Season  of  the  Waters : ” the 
modern  divisions  are,  Winter,  Summer,  and  the  Nile,  or  the 
Inundation.  The  latter  begins  about  the  period  of  the 
summer  solstice,  and  the  river  attains  its  greatest  height  at 
the  autumnal  equinox.  Then  he  who  casts  his  bread  upon 
the  waters  will  find  it  after  many  days.  The  peasant  has 
no  occasion  to  watch  the  clouds ; for  it  is  true  now,  as  in 
the  days  of  Zechariah,  that  in  the  land  of  Egypt  there  is 
no  rain. 

I cannot  better  conclude  this  chapter  than  in  the  words 
of  Amrou  to  the  Caliph  Omar.  “ O commander  of  the 
faithful,  Egypt  is  a compound  of  black  earth  and  green 
plants-,  between  a pulverized  mountain  and  a red  sand. 
The  distance  from  Syene  to  the  sea  is  a month’s  journey  for 
a horseman.  Along  the  valley  descends  a river,  on  which 
the  blessing  of  the  Most  High  reposes,  both  in  the  evening 
and  morning,  and  which  rises  and  falls  with  the  revolutions 
of  the  sun  and  moon.  When  the  annual  dispensation  of 
Providence  unlocks  the  springs  and  fountains  that  nourish 
the  earth,  the  Nile  rolls  his  swelling  and  sounding  waters 
through  the  realm  of  Egypt : the  fields  are  overspread  by 
the  salutary  flood ; and  the  villages  communicate  with  each 
other  in  their  painted  barks.  The  retreat  of  the  inundation 
deposits  a fertilizing  mud  for  the  reception  of  the  various 
seeds ; the  crowd  of  husbandmen  who  blacken  the  land  may 
be  compared  to  a swarm  of  industrious  ants;  and  their 
native  indolence  is  quickened  by  the  lash  of  the  task- 


SHADOOF  AND  SAKIA. 


63 


master,  and  the  promise  of  the  flowers  and  fruits  of  a 
plentiful  increase.  Their  hope  is  seldom  deceived  ; but  the 
riches  which  they  extract  from  the  wheat,  the  barley,  and 
the  rice,  the  legumes,  the  fruit-trees,  and  the  cattle,  are 
unequally  shared  between  those  who  labor  and  those  who 
possess.  According  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  seasons,  the 
face  of  the  country  is  adorned  with  a silver  wave,  a ver- 
dant emerald , and  the  deep  yellow  of  a golden  harvest.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 


TENURE  OF  LAND DISPOSITION  AND  MANNERS  OF  THE 

PEOPLE. 

The  tenure  of  land  in  Egypt  is  much  the  same  as  Joseph 
made  it  when  he  was  prime  minister.  The  fee  of  the 
greater  part  of  the  soil  is  in  the  Pasha,  though  in  various 
ways  much  land  has  gradually  passed  into  other  hands. 
Good  land  is  worth  from  twenty  dollars  to  twenty-five  dollars 
per  acre,  and  is  taxed  three  dollars  a year.  Land  is  divided 
into  very  small  lots,  for  grazing  and  other  purposes.  The 
land  is  sometimes  farmed  on  shares  — the  tiller  receiving 
one  fourth  of  the  produce  ; hut  the  mere  peasant,  or  fellah, 
does  not  receive  over  three  or  four  cents  a day ; while  in 
digging  canals,  and  in  other  public  works  for  the  general 
good,  he  is  compelled  by  the  sheik  to  work  for  nothing  and 
find  himself.  But  then  in  Egypt  there  is  no  road-tax,  no 
poll-tax,  no  school- tax,  only  a tax  on  land,  on  palm-trees, 
on  every  thing  that  is  raised  to  be  consumed. 

Egypt  is  a fine  grazing  country,  — especially  in  the 
Delta,  on  the  eastern  side  of  which  was  the  land  of  Goshen. 
This  accords  with  the  allusions  in  the  Bible  to  the  “ much 
cattle”  of  the  children  of  Israel.  There  is  a breed  of 
oxen  called  buffaloes,  but  they  answer  to  our  American 
buffalo  only  in  having  a bunch  on  the  shoulders.  They 
are  usually  black ; their  heads  are  long . and  flat ; their 
horns  flat,  and  curling  backwards  and  inwards,  and  their 
whole  appearance  is  one  of  “non-resistant”  meekness. 


TENURE  OF  LAND. 


65 


Some  have  no  horns  at  all.  The  milk  of  the  cows  is  good ; 
but  the  beef  is  wretched.  Indeed,  beef  is  almost  despised 
in  Egypt  as  an  article  of  food.  It  is  amusing  to  see  a 
drove  of  these  cattle  swim  across  the  Nile,  from  a village 
to  a pasture  ground  on  the  opposite  shore.  They  plunge 
into  the  swift  current  as  if  they  loved  to  baffle  it,  which 
they  do  with  surprising  ease.  Sometimes  the  driver  will 
ride  over  on  the  back  of  an  animal,  stooping  on  its  shoul- 
ders and  poising  his  clothes  on  his  head.  In  the  middle  of 
the  stream  you  see  only  the  floating  heads  of  oxen,  with 
here  arid  there  a bundle  of  clothes  peering  above  the  water. 
Most  picturesque  is  the  sight  of  a herd  of  cattle  standing 
motionless  on  the  water’s  edge  in  a sultry  noon. 

English  cattle  have  been  introduced  into  Egypt,  and  I 
have  seen  some  noble  specimens.  But  in  general  the  cattle 
are  stinted ; for  while  the  pasture  is  excellent,  there  is  too 
little  of  it  in  the  possession  of  private  owners  to  allow  of 
the  free  pasturage  of  stock.  It  would  be  hard  to  get  up  an 
agricultural  fair  in  Egypt,  though  the  spontaneous  products 
of  the  country  would  rival  those  of  any  clime. 

Sheep  and  goats  herd  together,  illustrating  another  fre- 
quent allusion  of  the  Scriptures.  Both  the  mutton  and  the 
wool  of  Egypt  are  of  an  inferior  quality.  But  the  great 
breed  of  Egypt  is  the  donkey  of  all  work — just  the  same 
dumpish,  slender-shanked,  long-eared  donkey  that  was  sculp- 
tured in  tombs  four  thousand  years  ago. 

The  scarcity  of  wood  in  Egypt  strikes  an  American  eye 
as  a disadvantage.  But  the  people  use  fuel  only  once  or 
twice  a day  for  a little  cooking,  and  the  canebrake,  corn- 
stalks, palm  branches,  cactus  roots,  and  the  dung  of  cattle 
dried  in  the  sun,  give  them  a full  supply.  In  the  few  days 
of  cool  weather,  they  shrink  and  shiver  under  their  woollen 
sacks. 

Of  the  people  of  Egypt  generally,  I can  speak  in  the 

6 * 


G6 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


most  favorable  terms.  They  are  simple-hearted  and  well 
disposed  towards  strangers.  Sometimes  they  seem  quick 
tempered  and  quarrelsome  among  themselves,  but  their 
passion  generally  expends  itself  in  words  and  gestures. 
Once  I saw  the  very  impersonation  of  hate  in  a lank  Arab, 
with  a sunken  eye,  blazing  with  fury,  a clenched  fist  jerking 
violently  in  the  air,  teeth  chattering,  with  hoarse  raging 
gutturals  that  came  too  fast  for  utterance,  and  I looked  for 
a violent  onset  upon  the  cause  of  the  provocation  — but 
words,  words,  words,  and  when  these  were  spent,  savage 
looks  from  flashing  eyes,  like  the  thunder-cloud  retreating 
without  rain. 

Commonly  the  people  are  attracted  by  the  presence  of 
strangers,  and  pleased  with  any  attention,  especially  with  a 
few  words  spoken  in  their  own  language.  Sailors,  who  are 
usually  a rough-grained  set  of  men,  are  here  the  merest 
children.  The  diversions  suited  to  children  are  just  the 
thing  for  them.  To  salute  the  captain  in  Arabic  and  in  the 
Oriental  style,  to  take  a whiff  of  his  pipe,  to  salute  each 
sailor  by  name,  and  then  extend  the  “ Salamat  ” to  a live 
young  crocodile  on  board,  to  join  in  the  chorus  of  their 
songs,  any  extempore  child’s  play  of  a moment,  gives  them 
a full  hour’s  glee.  I suspect  that  our  names  will  pass  per- 
manently into  the  choruses  of  sundry  Nile  songs. 

Mr.  Stephens  bore  a similar  testimony  almost  twenty 
years  ago.  He  says,  “For  nearly  two  months  I had  been, 
floating  on  the  celebrated  river,  with  a dozen  Arabs,  prompt 
to  do  my  slightest  bidding,  and  in  spite  of  bugs,  and  all 
manner  of  creeping  things,  enjoying  pleasures  and  comforts 
that  are  not  to  be  found  in  Europe;  and  it  was  with  some- 
thing more  than  an  ordinary  feeling  of  regret  that  I parted 
from  my  worthy  boatmen.  I know  that  it  is  the  custom 
with  many  travellers  to  rail  at  the  Arabs,  and  perhaps  to 
beat  them,  and  have  them  bastinadoed;  but  I could  not, 


MANNERS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


67 


and  cannot  join  in  such  oppression  of  this  poor  and  much 
abused  people.  On  the  contrary,  I do  not  hesitate  to  say 
that  I always  found  them  kind,  honest,  and  faithful,  thankful 
for  the  smallest  favor,  never  surly  or  discontented,  and 
always  ready  and  anxious  to  serve  me  with  a zeal  that  I 
have  not  met  in  any  other  people  ; and  when  they  came  up 
in  a body  to  the  locanda  to  say  farewell,  I felt  that  I was 
parting  with  tried  and  trusty  friends.” 

I never  met  with  an  American  traveller  on  the  Nile,  who 
mingled  with  the  people,  who  did  not  bear  the  same  testi- 
mony. They  are  a remarkably  susceptible  people,  open  to 
impressions  from  strangers,  and  if  released  from  the  fear  of 
the  death  penalty  for  a change  of  religion,  they  would  be 
promising  subjects  for  missionary  labor.  From  Mussulmen 
generally,  the  stories  of  travellers  and  the  spirit  of  the 
Koran  had  led  us  to  expect  uncivil  treatment,  except  where 
this  might  be  restrained  through  the  hope  of  employment  or 
of  trade.  But  we  never  received  incivility  from  any  quar- 
ter; and  I am  persuaded  that  either  the  unfavorable  im- 
pressions of  some  English  travellers,  respecting  the  native 
population  of  Egypt,  are  to  be  traced  to  the  national  hauteur 
which  Englishmen  are  apt  to  exhibit  abroad,  or  the  preju- 
dices of  the  common  people  have  been  .greatly  modified  by 
intercourse  with  foreigners.  The  term  Hawagee , which  is 
universally  applied  to  Franks  or  Europeans,  I am  sure  is 
not  commonly  used  as  a term  of  contempt,  to  denote  the 
superiority  of  the  Moslem  to  the  Christian,  as  Sir  Gardner 
Wilkinson  represents  it  in  his  “ Hand-Book  for  Travellers 
in  Egypt.”  True,  the  beggar,  in  asking  alms  of  a true 
Mussulman,  accosts  him  “ Sidi  ” (sir)  while  he  calls  the 
Christian  foreigner  Hawagee , a term  meaning  “ Christian 
merchant,”  as  distinguished  from  Khowagee , a Moslem  mer- 
chant. This,  Sir  Gardner  thinks,  “answers  to  the  French 
marcliand ,”  a word  sometimes  used  “ to  stigmatize  the  Eng- 


68 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


lish  as  a nation  of  shopkeepers,”  — a term  of  affected  supe- 
riority and  contempt.  I have  yet  to  learn,  however,  that 
the  profession  of  a merchant  is  disreputable  in  the  East. 
The  Turkish  bazaar  at  Cairo,  with  its  rich  display  of  silks 
and  jewels,  or  the  long  caravan  of  the  Armenian,  laden 
with  the  riches  of  Persia,  of  China,  and  the  Indies,  would 
hardly  suggest  that  idea.  Possibly  the  word  Hawagee  has 
a double  meaning ; or  it  may,  at  first,  have  been  applied 
contemptuously,  as  perhaps  the  name  “ Christian  ” was  first 
given  to  the  disciples  at  Antioch  as  a term  of  contempt. 
But  this  I know,  that  the  captain  of  our  Nile  boat,  when  he 
calls  me  indiscriminately  Hawagee  or  Sidi,  in  his  most 
respectful  approaches,  does  not  apply  to  me  a term  of  con- 
tempt, and  that  our  dragoman,  who  has  resided  in  England 
long  enough  to  learn  the  usages  of  English  society,  does  not 
mean  to  insult  me,  when  as  a native  Egyptian  speaking  to 
Egyptians,  he  calls  me  Hawagee.  I must  repeat  that  I 
have  never  met  with  a rebuff  from  Mussulmen,  not  even 
while  entering  a place  of  prayer  or  the  tomb  of  a saint  — 
nor  with  any  expression  of  contempt.  Their  houses,  indeed, 
are  mostly  kept  inviolate,  and  their  sacred  places,  like  those 
of  the  Roman  Catholics  in  Europe,  can  be  entered  only  by 
complying  with  certain  customs ; but,  whatever  may  be  their 
domestic  or  religious  usages,  the  Mussulmen  in  the  villages 
and  towns  along  the  Nile  are  not  uncivil  toward  Christian 
travellers.  The  traveller  is  a Hawagee , because,  from  the 
nature  of  oriental  commerce,  the  merchant  is  so  frequently 
a traveller. 

We  have  uniformly  found  the  people  well  disposed,  though 
frequently  clamorous  for  “ backshish”  — which,  like  ’ apenny 
in  Ireland,  is  the  universal  beggar-cry  of  Egypt,  — some- 
times a little  timid,  and  sometimes  rather  indifferent  to  our 
most  courteous  salutations.  Only  in  a few  instances  have 
we  seen  any  indications  of  vice  in  the  villages,  or  expe- 


MANNERS  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 


69 


rienced  any  annoyance  that  interfered  with  the  general 
inspection  which  we  had  in  view.  In  a few  cases  there  has 
been  a marked  disposition  to  show  us  kind  attentions,  espe- 
cially on  the  part  of  the  Copts.  This  is  owing  partly  to  the 
fact  that  the  hated  enrolment  for  the  army  is  now  going 
forward,  and  these  simple-hearted  people  imagine  that  the 
all  potent  English  can  somehow  do  something  at  head-quar- 
ters to  exempt  a husband,  a son,  or  a brother  from  conscrip- 
tion. Sometimes,  too,  our  wits  are  put  to  the  test  by  appli- 
cations for  medical  aid,  which  one  of  our  party  commonly 
disposes  of  by  a potion  of  red  pepper,  disguised  in  sugar. 
This  never  fails  to  work  a cure. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  DESERT  AND  THE  RAILROAD. 

The  first  view  of  the  great  Lybian  desert,  which  some 
fifty  miles  north  of  Cairo  encroaches  upon  the  very  bank 
of  the  Nile,  impressed  us  powerfully  by  its  contrast  with  the 
richness  of  soil  we  had  hitherto  seen.  We  went  on  shore, 
and  began  to  traverse  the  sea  of  sand,  hoping  to  gain  a ridge 
that  would  command  a distant  prospect.  But  the  ridge 
receded  as  wre  advanced,  and  after  an  hour’s  walk,  we 
seemed  no  nearer  than  when  we  started,  for  there  was 
nothing  by  which  the  eye  could  measure  distances.  How- 
ever, from  a slight  elevation  which  we  gained,  we  saw 
before  us  an  immense  arid  waste,  stretching  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  but  broken  into  ridges  by  sand  drifts,  where 
the  whirlwind  or  the  sirocco  had  spent  their  fury.  It  was  a 
solemn  and  impressive  sight.  Yet  even  in  this  waste  were 
signs  of  life.  Here  and  there  a few  stinted  shrubs  marked 
where  the  sand  was  a recent  deposit  upon  a good  soil,  and 
the  sight  of  a little  girl  tending  a solitary  calf  far  from  any 
human  habitation,  showed  us  how  tenacious  is  the  poor 
Egyptian  peasant  of  every  inch  of  fruitfulness.  The  feather 
of  an  eagle,  and  the  feather  of  a dove,  that  lay  upon  the 
sand,  were  suggestive  of  a life-struggle  that  had  here  been 
waged  between  the  victim  and  the  destroyer. 

But  most  affecting  was  the  sight  of  a whole  village 
deserted  and  buried  by  the  sand,  even  the  sycamores  and 
the  palms  that  had  been  planted  and  cherished  to  shield  it 


THE  DESERT  AND  THE  RAILROAD. 


71 


from  the  desert,  being  covered  with  its  drifts.  The  desert 
has  here  advanced  upon  the  Nile,  and  has  buried  the  old 
alluvium  under  twenty  feet  of  sand.  In  some  places  the 
grain  of  this  sand  is  as  fine  as  powder ; in  others  it  resem- 
bles rather  a fine  gravel,  and  is  compact  and  hard.  An 
unceasing  conflict  is  waged  between  the  desert  and  the  river. 
A huge  trench  or  canal  has  been  dug  and  filled  with  water 
to  preserve  what  remains  of  fertility  at  intervals  along  the 
western  shore.  Upon  the  opposite  bank  all  is  fertility. 

Is  there  not  here  a symbol  of  that  world  of  human  hearts 
where  flows  the  river  of  divine  mercy  — the  river  of  God 
that  is  full  of  water,  ever  flowing,  ever  free,  bearing  in  its 
bosom  the  riches  of  infinite,  eternal  love ; — and  yet  while 
on  one  side  all  is  fat  and  flourishing,  upon  the  other,  within 
reach  of  the  same  water,  all  is  dry  and  desolate ; the  empty 
sands  ever  drifting  and  drifting,  and  choking  and  burying 
what  the  river  would  fertilize  and  bless.  Here  and  there  is 
a spot  redeemed  by  the  river  from  the  desert,  and  made 
bright  and  cheerful  amid  the  surrounding  desolation ; — but 
there  is  many  a tract  also,  once  watered  by  the  river,  now 
swallowed  up  in  the  desert,  — all  kindly  influences  gone,  all 
signs  of  life  extinct,  — waste,  desolate,  appalling ! 

From  the  desert,  the  triumph  of  desolation,  we  turned  to 
examine  upon  the  opposite  shore  the  embankment  of  the 
railroad,  the  highway  of  modern  civilization  from  England 
to  the  East.  What  a violation  is  it  of  the  laws  of  associa- 
tion and  of  poetry,  to  introduce  a railroad  into  Egypt ! But 
this  the  Pasha  is  doing,  and  literally  with  the  force  of  an 
army,  for  a large  detachment  of  soldiers,  suspected  of  dis- 
affection, have  been  ordered  to  the  ignominious  field  of  the 
fellahs. 

The  railroad  from  Alexandria  to  Cairo  passes  through 
the  Delta,  crossing  the  Damietta  branch  at  its  head.  The 
work  is  in  progress  at  several  points  along  the  Delta,  the 


72 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


grading  being  done  by  band,  and  the  timber  and  stone 
carried  on  the  backs  of  camels  or  of  men.  But  the  most 
wonderful  part  of  this  great  work  is  at  the  head  of  the 
Delta  — the  bridge  by  which  it  is  to  cross  the  Nile,  which 
here  divides  into  two  great  branches.  This  work  was  begun 
many  years  ago  for  quite  another  purpose  — as  a barrage 
or  dam,  to  facilitate  the  irrigation  of  the  surrounding  country 
during  the  low  stage  of  the  river,  and  to  hold  back  the 
water  for  the  same  purpose  when  the  river  is  high.  The 
barrage  is  already  completed  over  the  Damietta  branch,  and 
that  over  the  Rosetta  branch  is  nearly  so  ; the  former  con- 
sists of  sixteen  arches,  each  thirty  feet  broad  by  about  sixty 
in  height,  and  a central  arch  nearly  a hundred  feet  in  width ; 
the  latter  has  twenty-four  arches  of  thirty  feet,  and  a similar 
central  arch.  The  main  arches  are  to  be  kept  always  open, 
but  the  lateral  ones  are  to  be  closed  when  the  water  is 
needed  to  feed  the  canals  for  the  surrounding  region.  The 
railroad  is  to  cross  by  the  Damietta  bridge,  and  to  be 
carried  up  the  east  bank  of  the  river  to  Cairo.  This  work 
is  built  very  substantially  of  hewn  stone,  and  is  ornamented 
with  slender  brick  turrets  in  the  minaret  style,  whose  tops 
and  angles  are  of  stone.  This  style  of  architecture  would 
be  very  pretty  for  factories  and  other  public  buildings  in  the 
United  States.  Indeed,  some  church-steeple  committees 
would  find  a minaret  a prettier  model  than  a tadpole. 

The  abutments  of  this  bridge  are  works  of  amazing 
solidity ; yet  it  may  be  doubted  whether  in  an  alluvial  soil, 
with  no  foundation  of  rock,  they  can  endure  the  pressure 
of  a swift  and  mighty  river,  forever  shifting  its  current  and 
undermining  its  banks.  The  general  appearance  of  the 
barrage  reminds  one  of  the  High  Bridge  at  Harlem,  though 
this  is  a more  substantial  and  a more  elegant  work  than 
that.  The  current  of  the  Nile  here  runs  with  great  swift- 
ness, fully  equal  to  that  of  the  Piscataqua  at  Portsmouth, 


THE  DESERT  AND  THE  RAILROAD. 


73 


and  it  is  difficult  for  boats  to  pass  through  the  arch  of  the 
barrage  in  a strong  wind.  Going  up,  they  are  assisted  by  a 
stationary  boat  furnished  with  ropes  and  pulleys. 

The  neighborhood  of  this  work  presented  a scene  of  great 
activity.  A detachment  of  troops  was  stationed  in  barracks 
on  the  plain,  to  preserve  order.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 
adjacent  village  seemed  to  be  gathered  in  an  out-door 
bazaar,  and  at  the  distance  of  a mile,  their  chattering  could 
be  heard  like  the  confusion  of  Babel.  There  was  an  iron 
foundry  on  the  bank,  and  two  huge  steam  pile-drivers  were 
anchored  in  the  river.  Gangs  of  men,  of  about  twenty 
each,  with  an  overseer  to  every  gang,  were  carrying  earth 
in  baskets  on  their  shoulders  half  a mile,  to  raise  the  railway 
grade  to  the  level  of  the  bridge.  There  was  not  a wheel- 
barrow or  a cart  to  be  seen.  All  the  earth  used  in  the 
construction  of  this  vast  pile  was  carried  in  half  bushel 
baskets  on  the  shoulders  of  men,  who  tramp  along  to  the 
measure  of  a monotonous  song.  In  another  place  half 
naked  men  were  mixing  clay  with  straw,  and  shaping  it  into 
bricks  to  be  baked  in  the  sun.  So  no  doubt  the  Israelites 
labored  under  their  taskmasters  when  they  built  Rameses 
just  hereabouts,  more  than  three  thousand  years  ago.  At 
evening  a large  company  of  laborers  waded  from  an  island 
to  their  homes  on  the  opposite  shore,  carrying  their  scanty 
clothing  on  their  heads.  Cairo  shone  in  the  setting  sun 
with  its  lofty  minarets  and  its  rock-built  citadel. 


7 


CHAPTER  IX. 


“CAIRO  THE  MAGNIFICENT.” 

Nine  days  of  sailing  and  pulling  brought  us  from  Alex- 
andria to  Grand  Cairo  — the  “ Cairo  of  the  Caliphs,  the 
superb  town,  the  Holy  City,  the  delight  of  the  imagination, 
greatest  among  the  great,  whose  splendor  and  opulence 
made  the  Prophet  smile.”  Friends  who  followed  us  a week 
after  in  the  steamer,  had  reached  the  capital  in  twenty-four 
hours,  but  they  had  seen  nothing  of  the  Nile.  We  were 
satisfied.  Mounting  donkeys  at  Boulak,  the  port  of  the 
city,  we  rode  through  a broad  avenue  of  sycamores  and 
acacias,  for  a mile  and  a half,  and  passing  a guarded  gate- 
way, halted  before  an  English  hotel,  facing  the  grand  public 
square  and  gardens  of  the  capital.  A grand  square  indeed 
it  is,  that  same  Uzbekeeh  — an  area  of  forty  or  fifty  acres, 
adorned  with  palms,  acacias,  and  gorgeous  flowers,  and 
intersected  by  fine  broad  paths,  — all  open  to  the  public 
without  restriction.  , There  is  no  fence  about  it,  but  a neat 
stone  trench,  about  four  feet  wide  and  six  in  depth,  sur- 
rounds it  upon  all  sides,  and  conveys  the  water  of  the  Nile, 
not  only  to  refresh  the  gardens,  but  to  cool  the  air  of  the 
city.  Here  the  gorgeousness  of  the  East  first  bursts  upon 
you.  The  “ Arabian  Nights’  Entertainments  ” now  begin. 
That  which  was  shadowed  forth  as  you  sauntered  under  the 
acacias  and  palms  without  the  gates  of  Alexandria  towards 
Pompey’s  Pillar,  opens  -with  all  its  storied  magnificence  in 
the  Uzbekeeh  of  Grand  Cairo. 


CAIRO. 


/ 


CAIRO  THE  MAGNIFICENT. 


75 


But  you  will  break  the  charm  if  you  turn  at  once  into 
the  Frank  quarter  — if  you  go  over  to  the  corner  where 
Walker  sells  ginger-nuts,  mint  candy,  and  patent  English 
bread,  “ warranted  to  keep ; ” and  from  there,  instead  of  the 
bazaar,  enter  the  new  street,  thirty  feet  wide,  all  lined  with 
garish  French,  English,  and  Italian  shops,  displaying  choice 
perfumery,  and  “ ready-made  linen  ” from  Paris  and  Lon- 
don, in  a land  that  to  your  fancy  was  always  robed  in  fine 
linen  of  embroidered  work,  and  perfumed  with  the  choicest 
aromatics  of  the  East.  Luckily,  the  sun  compels  the  occu- 
*pants  to  roof  over  this  patent  new  street  with  mats  and 
palm  branches,  a la  bazaar  ; and  though  carriages  do  dash 
through  it,  they  have  not  yet  excluded  the  donkeys  and  the 
camels  that  stubbornly  or  scornfully  stand  their  ground  at 
the  hazard  of  their  shins.  And,  moreover,  since  the  modern 
invention  of  trucks  and  carts  has  not  yet  been  fairly  palmed 
upon  Cairo,  even  the  patent  new  street  of  European  shops 
must  be  sprinkled  by  the  water  carrier  spirting  the  muddy 
Nile  from  a goat-skin  under  his  arm. 

But  what  a grief  and  vexation  it  will  be  to  future  travel- 
lers to  find  the  Grand  Cairo  transformed  into  a miniature 
London,  Paris,  or  New  York ; — to  find  Aladdin’s  lamp  dis- 
placed by  corporation  gas,  and  the  dromedary  run  down  by 
the  snorting  locomotive,  “ express  ” from  Calcutta  with  Her 
Majesty’s  mails ; — to  find  the  beauteous  tinted  Orient  made 
murky  by  tall  factory  chimneys,  and  “ the  superb  town,  the 
delight  of  the  imagination,”  graded,  and  levelled,  and  squared, 
and  paved  by  the  march  of  improvement.  Is  all  poetry 
and  all  romance  to  be  driven  from  the  world  by  steam  ? Is 
the  Bible  itself  — here  the  most  truthful  and  picturesque  of 
books  — to  lose  its  living  freshness,  and  become  a mere 
history  of  the  East  that  was?  Would  that  this  people 
might  have  the  Gospel  without  having  the  “Nineteenth 
Century ; ” that  they  might  live  by  the  spirit  and  precepts 


76 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


of  Christ,  and  still  wear  the  kaftan  and  the  turban,  and  sit 
cross-legged  on  a divan,  and  sip  coffee  out  of  tiny  cups,  and 
trade  leisurely  and  poetically  in  little  cubbies  in  the  bazaar, 
like  children  playing  shop,  without  ever  seeing  the  Times 
or  the  Daily  News , or  learning  the  price  of  stocks  and  the 
“ very  latest  telegraphic  intelligence  from  the  special  agent 
of  the  Associated  Press.”  Lack-a-day,  what  shall  the  west- 
ern traveller  do,  who  travels  six  thousand  miles  to  find  the 
Grand  Cairo  “ improved  ? ” So  don’t  drive  round  by 
Walker’s  corner,  but  turn  your  donkey  into  this  little  arch, 
that  you  must  stoop  to  enter,  and  that  looks  like  somebody’s 
front  gate,  and  follow  up  the  alley,  turning  all  the  sharp 
corners,  and  twisting  round  and  round,  and  crowding  up 
against  the  wall,  to  make  room  for  a donkey  or  a camel 
loaded  with  water-skins,  or  for  a fine  lady  buried  in  a huge 
inflated  sack  of  silk,  with  a pair  of  gold  or  silver  eyelets 
peering  through  a long  white  veil  of  richest  lace,  and  shin- 
ing slippers,  covered  with  embroidery,  peeping  out  from  full 
laced  pantalets,  that  droop  over  a saddle  of  soft,  rich  Tur- 
key carpets ; the  whole  pile  — Turkey  carpets,  Indian  silk 
balloon,  Persian  lace,  Cashmere  scarf,  Ophir  goggles,  and 
Morocco  slippers  — preceded  and  followed  by  a train  of 
meek  attendants,  in  fancy  turbans  and  glossy  beards,  pre- 
figuring the  inauguration  of  “Women’s  Rights,”  in  Bloomer 
costume,  enthroned  over  universal  donkey- dom.  Now  you 
begin  to  see  the  East.  But  jog  along,  straining  your  neck 
to  catch  a glimpse  of  the  blue  streak  of  sky,  up,  up,  through 
the  crevice  where  the  overhanging  balconies  of  lattice-work 
and  palisaded  roofs  do  not  quite  meet,  and  wondering 
whether  within  these  walls  are  the  marble  courts  and  open 
fountains,  and  the  double  arches  resting  upon  single  col- 
umns, and  the  silk  divans,  and  the  windows  and  lanterns 
of  stained  glass,  and  the  little  black  slaves  in  red  and 
yellow  slippers,  gliding  about  with  coffee  in  golden  cups 


LADIES  RIDING  ON  DONKEYS. 


CAIRO  THE  MAGNIFICENT. 


77 


upon  silver  platters,  and  with  rose-scented  latakia  in  nar- 
gilehs  glistening  with  rubies  — of  all  which  you  have  read 
in  story-books,  but  which  you  never  expected  to  see,  and 
cannot  well  contrive  to  see  even  now.  So  still  jog  on,  your 
donkey  picking  his  way  among  the  pipe-bowls  of  reclining 
Turks  at  the  gates  and  by  the  coffee-houses,  till  at  length 
you  reach  that  grand  repository  of  Oriental  wealth  and 
magnificence  — the  Turkish  bazaar.  But  no  donkey  must 
amble  here ; and  so,  dismounting,  you  walk  among  piles  of 
silk  and  cashmere,  compressed  into  little  closets,  four  feet 
by  six,  amber  mouth-pieces,  jewelled  pipe-stems  and  bowls, 
golden  coffee-cups,  displayed  in  little  cases  of  glass,  per- 
fumes of  Arabia,  gums  and  spices  of  the  Indies,  all  ranged 
before  these  diminutive  stalls,  where  by  day  the  owner  sits 
cross-legged  over  his  concentrated  wealth,  and  by  night 
locks  it  up  with  a wooden  lock  upon  a wooden  door,  and 
knows  that  it  is  safe. 

Turning  into  an  open,  square  court,  you  see  all  around  it 
a row  of  stalls  filled  with  rolls  of  carpet  of  the  softest  wool 
and  the  richest  patterns;  but  you  may  not  even  ash  the 
prices  now  — for  there,  upon  a carpet  spread  in  the  middle 
of  the  court,  are  the  twenty  proprietors  of  all  this  stock, 
kneeling  in  rows,  with  their  faces  toward  the  east,  bowing 
Iheir  foreheads  to  the  earth,  counting  their  fingers  and  their 
heads , and  reciting  after  a priest,  who  kneels  before  them, 
the  formula  of  evening  prayer.  Not  for  all  the  Indies 
would  one  of  these  devout  followers  of  the  Prophet  now 
give  a word  or  thought  to  secular  things.  In  that  rapt  gaze 
toward  Mecca,  they  see  not  your  wondering  gaze  at  them. 
So  you  pass  on  through  the  Greek  bazaar,  the  Armenian, 
and  the  Copt,  where  men  of  different  nations,  different  cos- 
tumes, different  religions,  engage  in  a traffic  which  is  com- 
mon and  free  to  all. 

From  the  bazaar  you  go  to  the  slave-market.  But  you 
7* 


78 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


may  not  look  upon  the  fair  daughters  of  Circassia  reserved 
for  Turkish  harems,  since  the  Pasha  has  done  away  with 
the  scandal  of  exposing  these  doomed  women  to  the  gaze 
of  every  stranger.  Yet  you  may  look  on  the  black  daugh- 
ters of  Nubia,  and  have  them  gather  round  you  in  their 
rags  and  beg  you  to  buy  them,  because  any  change  would 
be  to  them  better  than  to  remain  in  that  den.  Perhaps 
you  might  here  find  the  daughter  of  some  grief-stricken 
Hassan;  perhaps  of  some  palm-tree  prince,  who  has  met 
the  misfortunes  of  war;  — at  all  events,  you  would  see 
through  this  grease,  and  rags,  and  matted  hair,  a girl,  a 
woman  with  a woman’s  heart,  and  a soul  yearning  for  the 
freedom  of  its  native  home ; you  would  see  a concentration 
of  misery  that  would  make  the  heart  of  any  but  a Haley 
bleed.  Yet  it  is  no  worse  here  than  anywhere.  Egypt 
still  encourages  the  domestic  slave-trade  for  the  sake  of  the 
revenue,  and  hundreds  of  slaves  are  brought  from  Nubia 
down  the  Nile.  In  this  respect  the  Egypt  of  to-day  is  the 
Egypt  of  three  thousand  years  ago.  “ A wonderful  fulfil- 
ment of  prophecy ! ” exclaims  some  lower-law  divine ; “ it 
was  predicted  that  the  children  of  Ham  should  be  servants 
to  their  brethren.  How  wonderful  are  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence ! ” Yes,  but  there  is  no  such  prediction  in  the  Bible. 
The  curse  was  invoked  upon  one  only  of  the  sons  of  Ham* 
— Canaan  by  name  — and  it  was  fulfilled,  ages  ago,  in  the 
subjection  of  Canaan  by  the  Israelites.  The  sons  of  Cush, 
that  founded  the  great  Assyrian  Empire,  have  never  served 
their  brethren ; and  some  of  the  descendants  of  Ham,  who 
founded  Egypt,  do  not  fulfil  that  curse,  by  enslaving  other 
descendants  of  Ham,  who  wandered  a few  degrees  further 
south.  But  what  has  slavery  to  do  with  Cairo  ? Nothing, 
of  course,  except  sentimentally.  So  jog  along,  donkey,  up 
to  the  citadel. 

Here  is  the  old  palace  of  Mohammed  Ali.  This  is  an 


A STREET  IN  CAIRO, 


■ 


* 


CAIRO  THE  HIAGNIFICENT.  79 

indifferent  building,  with  but  one  handsome  room,  — that 
used  as  an  audience  chamber,  — but  interesting  from  its 
association  with  the  modern  Reformer  of  Egypt,  the  tyrant 
of  her  people,  and  the  wholesale  butcher  of  her  Mameluke 
princes.  Mohammed  Ali  lavished  his  adornments  upon  the 
palace  at  Alexandria  — the  city  which  he  made  his  real 
capital ; — yet  not  wholly  there,  for  this  unfinished  mosque 
that  crowns  the  eminence  with  its  tasteful  minarets,  its 
quadrangular  corridor  of  forty-three  alabaster  columns, 
with  richly  ornamented  capitals,  and  the  sheen  of  alabaster 
walls  around  the  whole  interior  court  of  prayer,  — shows  a 
taste  in  the  Mussulman  Viceroy  that  would  not  discredit 
St.  Peter’s  and  the  Vatican.  Indeed,  the  dome  of  the 
mosque,  though  less  grand  than  St.  Peter’s,  is  more  aerial, 
and,  at  first  view,  more  effective,  because  the  eye  embraces 
it  on  the  moment  of  entering  the  building,  and  never  loses 
it.  Here,  too,  within  the  mosque,  is  the  tomb  of  Mohammed 
Ali,  also  unfinished,  but  conceived  in  the  most  elaborate 
style  of  oriental  architecture. 

But  from  the  windows  of  this  mosque,  and  the  balcony 
of  the  citadel,  how  superb  the  view  of  Cairo  and  the  Nile ! 
You  are  on  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet  above  the 
city,  which  is  grouped  at  your  feet,  with  its  three  hundred 
minarets,  like  a fairy  scene.  Beyond  you  see  the  ever- 
winding  Nile,  and  you  follow  its  valley  for  a reach  of  forty 
miles,  from  north  to  south.  Opposite  are  the  pyramids,  and 
so  transparent  is  the  atmosphere  that  it  seems  as  if  you 
could  step  across  the  ten  miles  that  intervene,  and  plant 
yourself  upon  their  massive  sides.  Behind  you  are  the 
picturesque,  mosque-like  tombs  of  the  “ Caliphs  ; ” and  fur- 
ther in  the  rear  the  mountains  of  the  Mohuttam  flank  the 
city  with  their  bald,  sheer,  glaring  mass  of  limestone,  and 
shield  it  from  the  sands  of  the  desert. 

Returning  to  the  great  square,  we  meet  a juggler  at  his 


80 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tricks,  and  a shrewd  Abyssinian  improvisatore , entertaining 
a group  of  men  and  boys  with  tragedy  and  comedy  in  min- 
iature, relieved  with  snatches  of  native  songs. 

Having  dined  at  Shepherd’s,  we  donkey  back  to  Boulak 
to  sleep  on  the  boat.  This  Boulak  is  itself  a town  of  con- 
siderable size,  though  of  recent  growth.  The  river  has 
receded  from  Cairo  — which  stands  upon  its  ancient  bluff — 
and  a canal  for  irrigation  now  marks  its  former  bed ; while 
Boulak,  ranging  along  its  present  bank,  serves  as  a port. 
Here  are  immense  -areas,  in  which  grain  and  beans  are 
piled  up  like  mountains  of  sand,  no  doubt  as  they  were  in 
the  days  of  Joseph.  They  need  no  covering  where  it  never 
rains.  Here,  too,  are  piles  of  large,  fresh,  luscious  oranges, 
at  twenty  cents  the  hundred,  and  boats  unlading  at  the 
bank,  are  swelling  these  enormous  piles.  There  is  life  and 
activity  everywhere.  But  here,  too,  is  squalor  and  filth ; 
and  on  the  way  hither  we  passed  a cluster  of  miserable 
hovels,  around  which  ragged  men  and  naked  children, 
swarming  with  flies,  were  sunning  themselves ; and  on  that 
splendid  avenue  of  acacias  and  sycamores  were  little  girls, 
scraping  together  with  their  hands  the  refuse  of  passing 
animals,  to  be  dried  for  fuel  to  cook  their  scanty  meals. 
Alas ! all  is  not  poetry  in  the  East ; here  is  sorrow  and 
suffering  in  contrast  with  a magnificence  unparalleled  in  the 
New  World. 

The  Nile  is  made  to  fructify  the  great  plain  around  Cairo, 
and  to  water  the  public  square  and  gardens  within  the  city, 
as  well  as  the  palace  gardens  and  plantations  of  the  Viceroy 
without  the  walls,  by  the  force  of  steam,  which  pumps  up 
its  water  and  pours  it  into  an  arterial  system  of  canals. 
When  the  Sabbath  came,  it  was  refreshing  once  more  to 
attend  public  worship  in  the  English  tongue.  A little 
chapel  in  Cairo,  under  the  auspices  of  the  British  Embassy, 
opens  its  doors  to  all  strangers,  and  its  excellent  minister, 


CAIRO  THE  MAGNIFICENT. 


81 


Rev.  Mr.  Lieder,  though  speaking  in  broken  English,  con- 
ducts the  services  to  edification,  and  preaches  with  much 
acceptance.  I was  astonished  to  see  so  few  English  pres- 
ent, — only  ten  or  twelve  out  of  a hundred  or  more  then 
probably  in  Cairo.  Most  of  those  at  the  hotel  seemed  eager 
to  make  preparation  for  the  voyage  up  the  Nile. 

We  bid  good-bye  to  Cairo  for  the  present,  hoping  to  have 
a week  or  more  there  on  our  return.  With  replenished 
stores,  and  a brisk  north  wind,  we  set  out  joyously  for  a 
four  weeks’ voyage  up  the  Nile,  to  the  city  of  “ the  Hundred 
Gates.” 


CHAPTER  X. 


SCENERY  OF  THE  NILE DAY  AND  NIGHT. 

The  first  view  of  Nile  scenery  is  novel  and  picturesque  ; 
and  though  the  novelty  soon  fades,  the  picturesqueness 
remains  ever  the  same.  In  the  Delta,  the  banks  of  the 
river  are  level,  and,  for  about  fifty  miles  south  of  Atfeh, 
they  are  clothed  with  verdure  equally  upon  either  side. 
Beyond  this,  the  Lybian  desert  on  the  west,  sweeps  down 
to  the  water’s  edge ; but  on  the  east,  the  rich  alluvial  soil 
extends  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Fields  of  wheat, 
clover,  cotton,  tobacco,  sugar-cane,  indigo,  poppy,  overspread 
this  level  area,  divided  only  by  the  little  artificial  canals  for 
irrigation,  or  by  the  natural  growth  of  the  crops.  A fence 
is  rarely  seen  in  Egypt,  and  a walled  field  never.  At 
intervals  of  two  or  three  miles,  groves  of  palm-trees  indicate 
the  presence  of  a village,  long  before  its  low  range  of  huts 
can  be  distinguished ; for  the  palm-tree  is  cultivated  only  in 
the  neighborhood  of  villages,  where  its  fruit  can  be  pro- 
tected, and  its  shade  enjoyed.  Here  and  there  the  wide- 
spreading  sycamore  stands  in  modest  pleasing  contrast  by 
the  side  of  the  lofty  fan-crested  palm,  or  alone  overshadows 
the  water-wheel  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Sometimes  the 
diminutive  sont , or  acanthus,  with  its  prickly  bough  and 
dangling  bean,  is  clustered  about  the  village  bazaar,  or  a 
grove  of  acacias  droop  “their  yellow  hair”  along  the 
avenue  to  some  larger  town.  Besides  these,  the  Nile 


SCENERY  OF  THE  NILE. 


83 


knows  no  variety  of  tree  or  shrub.  It  has  no  “wood” 
along  its  shore ; only  the  palm-tree  is  everywhere,  solitary 
or  in  clusters,  and  is  ever  full  of  beauty  and  of  poetry. 

In  the  Delta,  the  white  minaret  — always  graceful,  how- 
ever rude  — peers  out  from  the  palms  of  every  village. 
But  on  the  upper  Nile,  the  villages  are  too  small  each  to 
sustain  a mosque,  and  the  minaret  adorns  only  the  larger 
towns.  These,  seen  in  the  distance,  — their  low  rounded 
walls  resembling  the  mounds  and  towers  of  a fortress  — 
their  minarets  rising  in  aerial  circles,  with  slender  galleries 
that  terminate  in  points  of  arabesque  — their  tall  palms 
gently  waving  over  all  — the  river  sweeping  along  their 
base,  and  the  boundless  verdure  compassing  them  around, — 
are  the  pictured  East,  outdoing  the  painter’s  pencil,  which 
was  never  dipped  in  such  an  atmosphere,  or  such  a sky. 
But  never  was  there  so  sad  a contrast  between  picture  and 
reality,  as  between  an  Arab  village  at  a distance  and  an 
Arab  village  under  your  eye.  If  you  would  know  the  East 
only  as  a dreamy  picture,  and  would  keep  it  ever  in  the 
mind,  as  first  seen  in  the  Arabian  Nights  — a golden 
romance  of  love  and  beauty  — then  look  upon  it  only  from 
the  deck  of  the  dahabeeh , as  you  float  or  fly  before  the 
ever  shifting,  never  changing  palms. 

Thirty  miles  north  of  Cairo,  the  pyramids,  that  Seem  to 
bound  the  desert  on  the  Lybian  side,  first  bring  the  empty 
grandeur  of  the  works  of  man  on  this  old  architectural  soil 
into  contrast  with  the  boundless  wealth,  the  ceaseless  benefi- 
cence, and  the  awful  desolation  of  nature,  in  the  plain,  the 
river,  and  the  desert.  I was  surprised  at  the  boldness  and 
sharpness  of  their  outline,  and  the  hugeness  of  their  bearing 
from  such  a distance,  so  unlike  the  diminutive  “ hay-stack  ” 
air  sometimes  imputed  to  them.  Then,  day  after  day,  they 
filled  all  their  mighty  history  as  the  eye  sought  them,  earli- 
est at  morning,  and  latest  at  night.  For  four  thousand 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


84 

years  these  mysterious  mountains  of  granite  have  been  an 
essential  feature  in  the  scenery  of  the  Nile. 

As  you  leave  Cairo  for  the  upper  Nile,  the  mountains 
of  the  Arabian  Desert  sweep  down  to  the  river-side,  and 
thenceforth  flank  its  eastern  bank  the  whole  distance  to 
Thebes,  and,  indeed,  to  Assouan  — sometimes  receding  four 
or  five  miles  from  the  river,  sometimes  jutting  a huge  mass 
of  limestone  right  into  its  bosom.  By  and  by,  as  you  go 
southward,  the  Lybian  chain  also  closes  in  upon  the  west ; 
and  in  this  narrow  valley,  on  an  average  five  or  six  miles 
wide,  flows  the  Nile.  And  here  is  all  of  upper  Egypt  — 
the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  river  spread  out  into  broad  plains 
or  piled  up  in  narrow  strips,  and  covered  as  below,  with 
wheat  and  clover,  beans,  onions,  lentils,  cucumbers,  corn, 
cotton,  tobacco,  sugar-cane,  indigo,  and  poppy,  with  flocks 
of  sheep  and  goats,  with  herds  of  buffaloes  and  droves  of 
camels,  with  low  mud  villages  overspread  with  palms,  or 
more  ambitious  towns  adorned  with  graceful  minarets  and 
acacia  groves. 

These  mountains  are  composed  principally  of  a friable 
limestone,  of  a yellowish  white  color,  and  are,  in  part, 
covered  with  the  drifting  sands  of  the  desert.  They  vary 
from  two  hundred  feet  to  six  or  eight  hundred  feet  in  height, 
and  at  Thebes  are  upwards  of  twelve  hundred.  They  have 
no  peaks,  except  around  the  plain  of  Thebes,  but  their 
summits  are  uniformly  a flat  table-rock,  ranging  at  different 
elevations.  At  certain  bends  of  the  river,  where  they  form 
the  shore,  their  configuration  is  peculiarly  bold  and  massive ; 
again,  they  lift  themselves  grandly  in  the  distance.  There 
is  not  a particle  of  verdure  of  any  kind  to  be  seen  upon  the 
whole  range,  for  the  five  or  six  hundred  miles  that  it  follows 
the  river  upon  either  side ; not  a shrub,  or  a blade  of  grass, 
or  a vestige  of  any  living  thing.  For  six  thousand  years 
they  have  bleached  under  the  sun  that  withers  the  deserts 


SCENERY  OF  THE  NILE. 


85 


which  they,  as  solemn  sentinels,  keep  back  from  the  river. 
Many  of  these  mountains  are  tombs.  Within  them  are 
buried  the  dead  of  cities,  whose  very  sites  are  lost  under  the 
encroaching^  sands  of  the  desert.  In  one  sense,  the  Egyp- 
tians made  preparation  for  death  the  great  work  of  life. 
Believing  in  immortality,  they  took  every  precaution  to 
provide  for  the  body  a safe  resting-place,  and  to  preserve  it 
from  decay.  They  hewed  deep  chambers  in  the  solid  rock, 
and  placed  in  these  the  massive  sarcophagi  that  inclosed  the 
embalmed  body,  and  then  walled  up  the  whole  against 
curious  or  profane  intruders.  And  now  the  mountains 
stand,  with  their  rifled  and  disfigured  tombs,  to  proclaim  that 
God’s  works  only  can  endure.  The  river  flows  peacefully 
at  their  base  or  within  their  wider  circuit,  but  the  cities  that 
once  crowded  its  banks  are  found  only  in  dusty  mounds  of 
broken  brick  and  sun-baked  mud,  in  fragments  of  massive  ♦ 
pillars  wrought  into  modern  village  walls,  or  strewn  solitary 
over  the  plain,  or  in  temples,  whose  buried  columns  serve  to 
mark  the  solemn  march  of  time.  Only  the  mountains  stand 
unchanged ; — monuments  of  a dim  and  hoary  antiquity, 
that  gather  about  their  fronts  the  silence  that  reigns  over 
the  Egypt  of  the  Pharaohs.  Yet  at  times  these  white, 
glaring  mountains  enfold  the  'Nile  so  gently,  so  gracefully, 
and  seem  to  throw  around  it  a guardianship  so  sacred,  that 
they  borrow  from  it  a beauty  not  their  own,  and  you  lose 
their  nakedness  in  the  flowing  river  and  the  waving  palm. 

Such  is  the  scenery  of  the  Nile.  A solemn  beauty 
pervades  it,  of  which  the  loving  eye  and  the  thoughtful 
mind  can  never  weary.  It  is  the  panorama  of  life ; not 
of  individual  life  only,  but  of  all  human  life ; a panorama 
of  the  race  and  of  time  — a symbol,  too,  of  an  ever  flowing 
eternity  robed  with  beauty  and  with  majesty.  No  canvas 
can  reproduce  it ; it  must  be  seen  in  order  to  be  felt ; and 
when  seen,  all  other  forms  of  earth  and  air  and  sky  fade 
8 


86 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


from  the  view,  while  this  unfolds  endlessly  the  palm,  the  river, 
and  the  mountain,  — the  mountain,  the  river,  and  the  palm. 

Day  and  night  recur  upon  the  Nile  with  a reliable  beauty 
unknown  to  our  western  skies*  How  strange  it  seems  to 
count  with  certainty  upon  the  weather,  or,  rather,  not  to 
take  the  weather  into  the  account  in  any  of  your  plans  for 
the  morrow ! It  may  be  a few  degrees  colder  or  warmer ; 
there  may  be  a shade  of  mist  upon  the  river  for  an  hour  Jm 
the  morning ; possibly,  a cloud  for  a few  moments,  or  even 
a few  hours,  may  hide  the  sun  ; there  may  be  wind  or  there 
may  be  calm  ; some  such  little  alternations  as  you  can  meet 
at  once  by  a slight  change  of  dress  ; — but  that  the  sun  will 
shine,  you  know  for  certain.  Sometimes,  at  evening,  the 
sky  looks  red  and  lowering ; and  in  any  other  climate  you 
would  prophesy  rain.  But  you  might  as  well  call  spirits 
from  the  vasty  deep  as  prophesy  rain  in  Egypt.  The  sun 
will  assuredly  come  forth,  as  a bridegroom  from  his  chamber, 
and  rejoice,  as  a strong  man,  to  run  a race.  Here,  day  by 
day,  he  moves  without  dimness  or  obstruction.  “ His  going 
forth  is  from  the  end  of  the  heaven,  and  his  circuit  to  the 
ends  of  it ; and  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat  thereof’* 
The  greatest  contrast  in  the  Nile  day,  is  between  the  dense, 
sultry,  oppressive  silence  of  a noontide  when  the  sun  glares 
upon  the  mountain,  and  the  desert,  and  the  river,  and  the 
plain,  and  no  thing  of  life  moves,  and  no  palm  branch  stirs ; 
and  the  joyous  life  of  a noon  when  the  north  wind,  blowing 
against  the  current,  lashes  the  river  into  waves,  stirs  every 
leaf  of  every  palm,  and  gives  men  and  cattle  freedom  to  live 
and  move  in  the  very  face  of  the  sun.  Yet,  to  know  the 
Nile,  and  to  dream  its  dreams,  one  must  sit  silent  under  the 
breathless  palm,  and  look  upon  the  molten  river,  and  the 
scorching  mountain,  in  the  wide-glaring  noon.  In  Egypt 
only  can  one  know  the  day : — 

“ Day  after  day  a gushing  fount  of  praise.” 


DAY  AND  NIGHT. 


87 


How  brilliant  the  sunrise  of  each  “morning  without 
clouds.”  Light  is  everywhere.  It  suffuses  nature  with  its 
glow.  There  are  no  contrasts  of  color,  for  there  are  no 
clouds  or  mists  through  which  the  “ law  of  refraction  ” can 
make  colors.  There  are  but  two  colors  in  the  morning  sky 
of  Egypt : — the  bright  golden  sun  — not  the  dull  yellow 
metal,  but  the  lustrous  gold,  fresh  from  the  die ; and  the 
liquid  blue,  in  whose  unfathomable  depths  it  floats  dreamily 
along.  Floats  dreamily  — for,  though  there  is  no  cloud  or 
mist,  there  is  a drapery  of  light,  that  reveals  the  sun  as 
through  a gauze  of  faintest  saffron.  This  is  the  phenome- 
non of  sunshine  in  the  east ; you  do  not  seem  to  see  the 
sun,  but  sun -light  everywhere : — 

“Bright  effluence  of  bright  essence  increate.” 

How  gorgeous  the  sunset  of  each  evening,  when  the 
vapors  drawn  from  the  river  gather  about  the  Lybian 
mountains,  as  beautiful  transparencies  of  dissolving  tints, 
while  the  morning  robe  of  saffron  droops  down  from  the 
sky  upon  the  river  and  the  Arabian  chain ! The  Nile  sunset 
perpetually  varies.  For  more  than  sixty  days  in  succession 
I have  looked  upon  it,  without  detecting  a resemblance  in 
any  of  its  features  from  day  to  day,  save  in  that  exquisite 
zodiacal  light  that  lingers  in  plaintive  beauty  when  the  sun 
is  gone. 

There  is  no  “corporation  moonlight”  on  the  Nile;  no 
moonlight  in  the  almanac  that  is  not  in  the  sky,  and  when 
the  city  fathers  leave  the  streets  to  mist  and  dingy  dark, 
because  if  there  is  no  moon  there  “ought  to  be.”  In  Egypt 
the  moon  of  the  almanac  is  always  in  the  sky. 

“ Day  to  day  doth  pour  out  speech ; 

Night  to  night  doth  show  forth  knowledge.” 

Or,  as  the  old  Psalter  has  it,  “ One  night  certifieth 


88 


EGYPT,.  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


another.”  You  are  always  sure  of  a cloudless  night ; and 
a night  in  which  the  atmosphere  retains  its  transparency 
and  its  liquid  depth,  and  but  moderates  its  tone  without 
losing  its  lustre.  Then  the  Pleiades  dispense  their  sweet 
influences,  and  Orion  looses  the  bands  of  his  glittering  robe ; 
then  Mazzaroth  comes  forth  in  his  season,  and  Arcturus 
rides  glorious  amid  his  sons.  But  above  all,  here  the  moon 
“ walks  in  brightness,”  and  gives  a light  so  pure,  so  intense, 
and  yet  so  soft  and  mild,  that  night  becomes  a second  day, 
in  lustre  without  heat.  “ Established  forever  as  a faithful 
witness  in  heaven,”  throughout  the  East  the  moon  is  the 
measure  of  time;  while  here  only,  under  such  a moon,  would 
men  “ burn  incense  to  the  queen  of  heaven.”  The  traveller 
who  would  see  Karnac  so  as  to  feel  all  the  past,  should  not 
fail  to  visit  it  at  the  full  moon. 

Our  day  upon  the  Nile  has  hardly  more  of  variation  than 
the  external  air  and  sky.  We  rise  at  no  hour ; — for  no 
one  watch  on  board  the  Lotus  answers  to  another ; — so  we 
take  no  note  of  time,  but  having  risen  to  the  sun,  we  greet 
the  re  is,  the  steersman,  and  the  crew  with  a Sabal  Khayr , 
and  receive  in  turn  their  salutations.  The  professor 
culinaire  says  modestly,  “ Good  morning,”  and  kisses  his 
hand ; Hassan  touches  his  pipe  to  his  forehead.  If  the  boat 
is  lying  to  or  dragging,  we  saunter  along  the  shore  till  hailed 
for  breakfast,  which  awaits  us  when  the  cook-boy  returns 
from  the  nearest  village  with  his  jar  of  milk.  After  break- 
fast, when  there  is  opportunity,  we  stroll  along  the  fields  and 
among  the  villages,  and  study  Egyptian  life ; or,  walking 
ahead  of  the  lazy  boat,  sit  under  a palm  and  lose  ourselves 
in  musing  till  she  comes.  Most  travellers  divert  themselves 
with  shooting  the  tame  pigeons  along  the  shore,  and  an 
American  whom  I met  commiserated  me  for  not  having  a 
gun.  If  the  wind  favors,  we  snatch  a modicum  of  exercise 
from  the  contracted  deck;,  gaze  awhile  upon  the  panorama 


DAY  AND  NIGHT. 


89 


* 


of  the  river,  the  mountain,  and  the  palm,  and  then  betake 
ourselves  to  books  and  pens,  under  a net  spread  to  keep  off 
the  myriads  of  flies,  that  here  cluster  in  the  eyes  and  carry 
a virus  in  their  sting.  Egypt  still  swarms  with  this  plague 
of  Pharaoh.  Men  grow  strangely  hungry  on  the  Nile,  and 
dinner  comes  with  a welcome.  Then  dream-life  follows, 
and  lighter  reading,  and  grave  discussion  or  smaller  talk, 
until  at  evening,  sunset  glows  under  the  palms  or  across  the 
deck ; — but  always  sunset  in  its  gorgeous  beauty.  Then 
night  shuts  in,  and  we  gaze  awhile  upon  the  moon  and  stars ; 
kill  poison  spiders ; then  hunt  bugs  and  fleas,  and  finally 
lie  down  to  sleep. 


8* 


CHAPTER  XI. 


MINIEH A SUGAR  FACTORY VISIT  TO  A BEY. 

In  going  up  the  Nile  the  traveller  should  always  take 
advantage  of  the  north  wind  for  making  progress  towards 
his  highest  destination,  otherwise  the  loss  of  one  day  may 
occasion  him  the  loss  of  ten.  If  the  wind  blows  from  the 
right  quarter  he  should  not  stop  to  see  either  tombs  or 
temples,  but  hasten  on  to  Thebes  and  the  Cataracts.  If  he 
loses  the  wind  he  can  make  no  headway  up  the  stream,  but 
by  the  tedious  process  of  “tracking.”  Coming  down  the 
river,  he  has  always  the  current  in  his  favor,  and  he  can 
then  visit  at  his  leisure  objects  that  were  omitted  on  the 
upward  voyage.  Yet  on  his  return  he  must  guard  against 
the  temptation  to  hurry  back  to  Cairo  for  letters  from  home. 
While  in  Egypt,  he  should  see  Egypt  thoroughly.  The 
failure  of  the  north  wind  gave  us  frequent  opportunities  of 
going  ashore,  while  creeping  up  the  river. 

One  of  the  most  picturesque  towns  upon  the  Nile  is 
Minieh , about  a hundred  and  sixty  miles  south  of  Cairo, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  It  is  situated  on  a high 
bank,' on  the  edge  of  a vast  fertile  plain,  and  is  adorned 
with  minarets,  which,  notwithstanding  the  roughness  of 
their  materials  and  the  imperfection  of  their  architectural 
details,  look  aerial  and  beautiful  in  the  distance.  Tall 
palm-trees  are  scattered  over  the  plain  and  interspersed 
among  the  houses,  and  a double  row  of  acacias,  drooping 
“ with  golden  hair,”  adorn  the  bank  for  half  a mile  above  the 


A SUGAR  FACTORY. 


91 


town.  Opposite,  the  Arabian  mountains  rear  their  cream- 
colored  leafless  masses  along  the  shore,  while  in  the  rear 
perspective  looms  the  Lybian  chain  along  the  western  des- 
ert. As  you  approach  the  town,  a bend  of  the  river  brings 
it  into  the  crown  of  an  arch  that  rests  upon  the  mountains, 
while  the  water  multiplies  its  palms  and  minarets  like  a 
quivering  mirror  of  molten  silver.  I remember  no  view 
that  approaches  it  so  nearly  as  that  of  Bellevue,  in  Iowa, 
on  the  Upper  Mississippi.  There  is  the  same  lay  of  the 
land  and  of  the  town,  and  the  same  graceful  sweep  of  the 
river,  but  while  the  bluffs  there  are  verdant,  the  mountains 
here  are  bare ; and  on  the  other  hand,  at  Bellevue  are 
wanting  the  minarets  and  the  palms.  After  all,  there  is 
but  one  Nile.  But  the  interior  of  Bellevue,  though  it  is  a 
town  of  recent  growth  in  the  far  West,  presents  an  aspect 
of  neatness,  of  comfort,  of  thrift,  which  is  wholly  wanting 
in  any  village  on  the  Nile. 

Minieh,  however,  exhibits  more  of  these  features  than 
most  Egyptian  towns.  Many  of  its  houses  facing  the  river 
are  of  burnt  brick,  two  stories  high,  with  roofs,  glass  win- 
dows, and  balconies ; and  in  the  suburbs  are  a few  resi- 
dences that  would  not  disgrace  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut. 
But  these  belong  to  European  residents  and  to  government 
officials.  The  rest  of  the  town  exhibits  the  usual  appear- 
ance of  a narrow,  tortuous  bazaar,  and  little  crooked  lanes 
of  one  story  mud-brick  huts.  Minieh  has  one  feature  that 
gives  it  interest  at  the  expense  of  picturesqueness.  Two 
tall,  well-built  chimneys,  one  of  which,  in  the  form  of  a 
hexagon,  is  as  beautiful  as  a brick  chimney  can  be  made  — 
point  out  the  site  of  a great  steam  sugar  manufactory  which 
the  Pasha  has  established  at  this  place.  The  adjacent  fields 
are  planted  with  sugar-cane,  which  is  watered  by  means  of 
a steam  forcing-pump  at  the  river.  The  cane  grows  luxu- 
riantly, and  the  sugar  made  from  it  is  of  an  excellent 


92 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


quality.  The  machinery  used  in  the  refinery  is  of  Parisian 
manufacture,  and  of  the  very  highest  order.  The  general 
management  of  the  establishment  is  in  French  hands,  though 
many  a bagged  and  turbaned  overseer  glides  about  in 
pointed  slippers,  and  many  a half-clad  Arab  works  among 
the  cane,  at  the  furnace,  or  in  the  treacle,  for  one  piastre  or 
Jive  cents  a day , payable  one  half  in  money  and  one  half 
in  the  expressed  juice  of  the  cane,  with  the  privilege  of 
eating  sugar-cane  when  hungry.  After  the  cane  is  pressed, 
it  is  dried  in  the  sun  and  used  for  fuel,  and  this  with  the 
addition  of  dry  cornstalks,  suffices  to  feed  the  engine. 
Fine  grained  sugar  and  pellucid  rock  candy  are  manufac- 
tured at  this  establishment. 

As  we  stood  by  the  door,  one  of  the  superintendents 
accosted  us  and  invited  us  to  enter.  He  was  a Nubian  of 
the  blackest  die,  but  was  elegantly  attired,  and  had  an  air 
more  gentlemanly  than  servile.  Around  him  stood  two  or 
three  Copts,  well  costumed  also,  and  wearing  in  their  belts 
the  “ writer’s  inkliorn  ” — the  usual  badge  of  their  profes- 
sion as  scribes.  AVe  availed  ourselves  of  the  invitation, 
and  went  through  the  whole  factory.  Our  entrance  made 
quite  a sensation,  especially  as  we  were  accompanied  by  a 
lady  in  American  dress.  As  for  myself,  with  a crimson 
tarbouch,  an  unshorn  chin,  and  Joseph’s  “coat  of  many 
colors,”  I could  not  affect  to  represent  any  particular  nation- 
ality. Some  waggish  boys  followed  at  the  heels  of  the  lady, 
twisting  the  faded  blue  tassel  of  an  old  tarbouch  into  a cari- 
cature of  her  natural  and  graceful  curls ; and  both  men 
and  boys  assailed  her  vehemently  for  baclcshish  (a  gratuity). 
Even  the  dignified  Nubian  did  not  disdain  to  have  an  under- 
standing with  our  dragoman  for  a gratuity,  which  we,  of 
course,  designed  to  give  him.  How  inveterate  is  this  na- 
tional habit  of  begging,  induced  by  the  beggared  condition 
of  the  people ! You  find  the  same  thing  in  Italy,  from  the 


VISIT  TO  A BEY. 


93 


same  cause;  indeed,  I think  Italy  is  even  worse  in  this 
respect  than  Egypt.  In  France  men  are  polite,  and  espe- 
cially public  servants  are  attentive  and  polite,  without  look- 
ing for  remuneration ; but  in  England,  even  the  liveried 
porters  of  the  National  Bank,  and  the  servants  of  her 
Majesty  in  lace  coats,  and  ruffs,  and  white-topped  boots,  do 
not  disdain  to  hold  out  the  hand  for  a shilling  for  opening 
a door.  Americans  are  said  to  be  the  slaves  of  the  dollar ; 
but  they  get  the  dollar  by  industry,  enterprise,  and  labor, 
and  not  by  the  loafish  begging  of  the  Englishman  for  his 
shilling,  the  Italian  for  his  paul,  and  the  Egyptian  for  his 
piastre.  My  countrymen  will  pardon  this  digression  for 
the  national  honor ! 

After  we  had  seen  the  factory,  our  Nubian  attendant 
inquired  if  we  would  like  to  call  upon  the  Bey  who  has 
charge  of  this  portion  of  the  Pasha’s  estates  and  revenue, 
and  who  was  then  on  a visit  to  the  place  in  his  own  barge. 
The  Bey  is  a chief  servant,  or  minister  in  waiting,  of  the 
Pasha,  and  has  the  superintendence  of  a given  department, 
with  the  privilege  of  being  near  the  person  of  the  Viceroy, 
as  he  in  turn  may  approach  the  person  of  the  Sultan  at 
Constantinople.  We  found  this  dignitary  in  a barge  of  the 
nicest  order,  cushioned  and  curtained  with  all  possible 
regard  to  comfort  and  to  privacy.  He  was  seated  on  a 
divan  in  a corner  of  the  outer  apartment,  with  his  feet 
coiled  gracefully  under  drooping  folds  of  linen.  His  head 
was  adorned  with  a white  cap  wreathed  about  with  a shawl 
of  green  and  red  floss  silk,  which  descended  carelessly  over 
his  shoulders.  As  the  morning  was  cold,  he  wore  over  his 
robe  of  silk  and  linen  a full  half  cloak  of  a rich  brown 
cloth.  Beneath  him  was  spread  a very  rich  and  elegant  rug, 
and  a small  carpet  adorned  a patch  of  the  cabin  floor.  Upon 
this  rested  a silver  urn,  elegantly  chased,  and  filled  with 
scented  water,  into  one  side  of  which  was  inserted  a pipe- 


94 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


stem  and  bowl  festooned  with  silk  and  golden  threads,  while 
a flexible  tube,  disposed  in  graceful  coils,  conducted  the 
fragrance  of  tobacco  thus  mollified  to  a mouth-piece  of  jew- 
elled amber.  Six  or  eight  servants  robed  in  graceful  cos- 
tume glided  noiselessly  to  and  fro,  awaiting  the  least  inti- 
mation from  their  master.  As  we  entered  the  saloon,  the 
Bey,  without  rising,  touched  his  hand  to  his  breast,  his  lips, 
and  his  forehead,  and  gracefully  motioned  us  to  be  seated 
upon  chairs  disposed  along  the  opposite  side.  He  was 
apparently  over  fifty  years  of  age,  of  a full  habit,  with  a 
finely  developed  head,  and  a most  benignant  countenance. 
We  all  agreed  that  we  had  never  seen  a finer  combination 
of  dignity  and  grace,  or  a more  courteous  and  affable  salu- 
tation than  welcomed  us  from  the  carpeted  divan.  The 
interview  was  one  of  much  interest,  because  with  the  Bey  it 
was  evidently  not  a mere  matter  of  civility.  He  was  very 
desirous  to  learn  about  America  and  its  institutions.  We 
complimented  him  upon  the  flourishing  condition  of  the  fac- 
tory, the  excellence  of  the  machinery,  and  the  quality  of 
the  sugar.  One  of  our  party,  being  the  manufacturer  of  the 
celebrated  “New  York  Mills”  shirting,  was  able  to  give 
him  full  information  respecting  the  cotton  manufactures  of 
America.  The  Bey  was  amazed  at  the  quantity  of  cotton 
raised  in  the  United  States,  and  wished  to  know  how  this 
was  ascertained.  The  system  of  newspapers,  mails,  mar- 
kets, etc.  was  then  explained,  which  increased  his  astonish- 
ment: He  was  gratified  to  hear  that  in  the  United  States 

any  person  could  become  as  great  a proprietor  as  the  Pasha 
of  Egypt.  I suspect  our  dragoman,  who  loves  to  magnify, 
gave  him  to  understand  that  Mr.  W.  was  proprietor  of  a 
town  and  of  pretty  much  all  the  cotton  raised  in  the 
country. 

Some  daguerreotypes  pleased  him  greatly ; and  after  exam- 
ining one  of  a child,  he  said,  devoutly,  to  the  mother,  “ May 


VISIT  TO  A BEY. 


95 


God  bless  your  dear  boy.”  He  was  much  attracted  by  the 
lady  of  our  party,  and  inquired  whether  Christians  had  more 
than  one  wife ; and  when  this  was  explained,  he  wished  to 
know  if  one  marrying  a second  time  could  select  a wife  from 
the  women  of  the  country,  or  must  take  one  of  his  own 
slaves.  He  was  surprised  to  learn  that  we  had  no  slaves. 
Coffee  and  pipes  were  served,  and  we  bade  his  excellency 
adieu. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


RIVER  SAINTS  AND  COPTIC  HERMITS. 

This  morning  our  boat  was  blessed  in  the  name  of  the 
Prophet.  Going  out  on  deck  I saw  there  a young  man  appar- 
ently nineteen  years  of  age,  entirely  innocent  of  clothing, 
dripping  with  water  and  shivering  with  cold.  The  first 
thought  was,  that  he  had  been  picked  up  from  the  river, 
and  though  saved  from  drowning  was  likely  to  die  with 
chills  ; but  the  great  attention  shown  him  by  the  reis  and 
the  sailors  showed  that  he  was  a character  of  no  ordinary 
importance.  It  presently  transpired  that  he  was  a saint, 
who  devotes  his  life  to  the  study  of  the  Koran,  and  lives  on 
charity.  lie  had  a very  thoughtful,  meditative  look  — 
though  bordering  a little  upon  stupor  — which  the  sailors 
attributed  to  excess  of  study,  and  which  seemed  to  excite  in 
them  mingled  reverence  and  compassion.  Each  sailor  con- 
tributed his  mite  in  the  small  coin  of  the  country,  equal  to 
half  a cent,  and  the  reis  bestowed  on  him  a garment  of 
some  value,  with  one  or  two  loaves  of  bread.  The  coin  he 
stuffed  into  his  mouth,  till  his  cheeks  were  distended ; the 
garment  he  bound  about  the  crown  of  his  head,  and  putting 
the  bread  on  top  of  this,  he  plunged  into  the  river.  He 
hardly  spoke  on  board  the  boat,  except  to  mutter  some  for- 
mula of  benediction,  after  which  the  reis  and  several  of  the 
crew  accompanied  him  to  the  stern,  where  he  dropped  him- 
self’ into  the  water,  and  swam  towards  another  boat,  about 
half  a mile  behind  us.  He  was  a wonderful  swimmer,  and 


RIVER  SAINTS  AND  COPTIC  HERMITS. 


97 


could  stem  the  swift  current  of  the  Nile  with  apparent  ease. 
This  is  accounted  an  evidence  of  his  saintship.  The 
sailors,  who  take  to  the  water  like  ducks,  say  that  such 
swimming  in  the  cold  water  would  kill  them,  but  he  swims 
by  miracle. 

The  Mohammedans,  with  all  their  hatred  of  image-wor- 
ship, are  very  superstitious.  All  along  the  Nile,  you  see 
the  rude  tombs  of  their  sheiks  and  saints  filled  with  votive 
offerings,  just  like  the  altars  of  the  saints  in  Italy.  They 
tell  their  beads,  and  believe  in  signs  and  omens.  Withal 
they  are  intense  fatalists  in  theory,  though  this  does  not 
seem  to  impair  their  freedom  or  their  personal  activity  in 
any  practical  affairs.  When  this  poor  beggar-saint  dies,  he 
will  be  honored  with  a tomb  that  will  become  a place  of 
pilgrimage  for  the  neighborhood,  and  for  passing  sailors.  A 
saint  at  Minieh  is  reputed  to  have  power  to  prevent  croco- 
diles from  advancing  further  down  the  Nile,  by  means  of 
incantations  that  throw  them  upon  their  backs. 

But  our  religious  privileges  were  not  confined  to  a visit 
and  a benediction  from  a Mohammedan  saint.  Later  in 
the  day  we  were  boarded  by  a swimming  deputation  from  a 
community  of  Coptic  monks,  the  lingering  and  degenerate 
representatives  of  a system  that  once  had  in  Egypt  and  its 
adjacent  deserts  as  many  convents  and  monasteries  as  there 
are  days  in  the  year,  among  which  were  institutions  whose 
learning  and  piety  enjoyed  a world  wide  reputation.  We 
encountered  these  priests  “all  shaven  and  shorn,”  as  we 
were  sailing  under  the  brow  of  Gebel  e Tayr , “ the  moun- 
tain of  the  bird  ” — a bald  rugged  rock,  about  half  a mile 
in  length,  that  rises  perpendicularly  out  of  .the  river  to  the 
height  of  two  hundred  feet.  On  the  top  of  this  mountain  is 
a little  mud-brick  building  known  as  the  convent  of  “ our 
Lady  Mary  the  Virgin,”  which  is  occupied  by  about  thirty 
Copts  belonging  to  some  order  of  mendicant  friars.  When- 
9 


98 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


ever  a boat  appears  in  sight,  the  whole  body  turn  out  and 
line  the  brow  of  the  mountain  to  hail  it  for  charity,  while 
two  or  three  of  the  number  clamber  down  the  steep  face 
of  the  mountain,  and  throwing  off  their  black  gowns  and 
cowls,  swim  out  to  the  boat  to  receive  alms.  How  sad  a 
representation  of  Christianity  is  made  to  a Mohammedan 
crew,  by  two  or  three  great  stout  men,  with  shaven  heads, 
sitting  stark  naked  on  the  side  of  the  boat,  shivering  with 
cold,  and  whining,  “ ana  Christian  ya  Hawagee ,”  “ I am  a 
Christian,  O traveller.”  If  you  give  them  a few  coppers 
they  stuff  these  into  their  mouths,  and  if  you'  give  them 
bread  they  poise  this  upon  their  shorn  crowns,  and  swim 
back  to  the  mountain.  They  seem  to  have  a great  passion 
for  empty  bottles,  which  I suppose  they  sell  at  a neighbor- 
ing town. 

I learned  from  one  of  them  that  they  have  in  the  convent 
a copy  of  the  Scriptures,  but  that  few  of  them  can  read,  and 
that  they  have  prayers  five  times  a day.  One  feels  moved 
to  give  something  to  such  pitiable  objects,  and  yet  that  is  a 
questionable  charity  which  goes  to  countenance  and  sustain 
that  system  of  “ pious  ” mendicancy  which  has  cursed  the 
Christian  world  in  Europe  and  throughout  the  East ; and 
especially  to  countenance  a set  of  Christian  loafers  in  the 
presence  of  Mohammedans,  who  despise  these,  though  they 
honor  their  own  swimming  saints.  The  traveller  who  pat- 
ronizes such  vagrants  is  regarded  by  the  Mohammedans  as 
identified  with  their  religion ; and  thus  all  Christians  sink 
in  their  view  to  the  level  of  these  pitiable  friars.  Remem- 
bering the  apostle’s  injunction  that  “ if  any  would  not  work, 
neither  should  he  eat”  — an  injunction  aimed  against  the 
whole  tribe  of  religious  loafers  — I felt  that  the  application 
of  a rope’s  end  to  the  tawny  backs  of  these  mendicant 
“ Christians  ” by  a Mohammedan  sailor,  was  about  the 
reception  they  merited.  The  sailors  are  always  forward  to 
show  their  contempt  for  this  amphibious  species  of  Christians. 


RIVER  SAINTS  AND  COPTIC  HERMITS. 


99 


The  convent  has  attached  to  it  a fine  piece  of  ground  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river  — the  gift  of  the  Pasha  — and 
from  this  and  the  charity  of  travellers,  its  inmates  supply 
their  physical  wants;  while  from  their  eyrie  nest,  about 
which  the  eagle  hovers,  overlooking  the  desert  upon  one 
side,  and  on  the  other  the  river  and  the  plain,  they  have 
prayers  read  five  times  a day  for  the  growth  and  comfort 
of  their  souls.  To  an  imaginative,  and  possibly  to  some 
phases  of  a contemplative  mind,  this  may  appear  to  be  an 
inviting  form  of  religious  life.  But  there  is  nothing  in  the 
New  Testament  to  warrant  such  a life.  When  the  Saviour 
gave  himself  to  retirement  and  prayer  in  the  mountains,  he 
was  leading  an  out-door  life,  and  he  took  the  night  for  this 
purpose,  in  order  that  he  might  be  strengthened  for  the 
labors  of  the  day  among  the  multitude.  He  did  not 
renounce  his  labors  for  the  sake  of  solitude,  but  sought  soli- 
tude as  a brief  refreshment  from,  and  preparation  for,  the 
work  that  his  Father  had  given  him  to  do.  Christianity  is 
made  for  active  service  in  an  active  world ; and  while  the 
life  of  the  Christian,  in  its  inmost  springs  and  sources,  is 
hid  with  Christ  in  God,  and  is  fed  by  unceasing  communion 
with  its  source,  it  is  not  a life  hidden  from  the  view  of  men 
in  mountain  caves  and  monastic  cells.  Even  prayer 
becomes  an  empty  form,  when  the  observance  of  this  as  a 
speciality  would  separate  one  from  all  the  duties  of  social 
life,  and  from  all  practical  sympathy  with  humanity. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


SABBATHS  ON  THE  NILE A MISSIONARY  INCIDENT. 

The  land  of  Egypt  has  no  Sabbath.  In  all  the  principal 
towns  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  the  great  market  day,  when 
the  people  of  the  village  bring  their  stock  and  produce  to 
exchange  for  clothing,  and  other  articles  at  the  bazaar. 
F riday  is  the  Mohammedan  Sabbath  — the  special  prayer 
day,  when  the  mosques  are  open  also  for  preaching.  The 
day  is  kept  after  the  fashion  of  a Sunday  in  continental 
Europe.  The  more  scrupulous  and  devout-  close  their  little 
shops  during  the  hours  of  prayer,  and  resort  to  the  mosque 

— perhaps  leaving  some  one  upon  the  look-out  for  customers 

— and  either  return  from  the  mosque  to  business,  or  give 
up  the  remainder  of  the  day  to  lounging.  At  Ekhmim,  one 
of  the  principal  towns  of  Upper  Egypt,  where  I chanced 
upon  a Friday,  though  many  shops  in  the  bazaar  were  open, 
yet  the  large  mosque  was  crowded  with  men  who  seemed 
devout  in  prayer  and  singing  ; but  no  women  were  present, 
though  these  are  sometimes  admitted  into  secluded  galleries. 
Generally  a stranger  finds  no  difficulty  in  entering  a mosque 
if  attended  by  some  official  of  the  place ; but  he  must  put 
off  his  shoes  at  the  door,  and  not  tread  the  sacred  ground, 
with  what  has  touched  the  common  dust.  On  Friday,  work 
goes  on  in  the  fields  as  upon  other  days.  Yet  in  Cairo,  it  is 
difficult  to  transact  business  on  a Friday  in  the  Mohamme- 
dan quarter,  or  on  Saturday  in  the  Jews’  quarter,  while  on 


SABBATHS  ON  THE  NILE. 


101 


our  Sabbath  the  Copts,  Armenians,  and  other  nominal 
Christians,  who  number  in  all  seventy-five  thousand  or 
more  than  one  third  of  the  population  of  the  city,  pay  a 
decent  regard  to  the  day.  At  Alexandria  and  Cairo  there 
is  public  service  on  the  Lord’s  day  in  the  English  tongue, 
according  to  the  forms  of  the  Church  of  England.  At 
Cairo  this  is  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Leider,  a German  long 
resident  in  that  city,  who  has  made  himself  useful,  not  only 
to  foreigners,  but  to  the  native  Christians. 

In  some  of  the  villages  of  the  Upper  Nile  the  Copts  are 
sufficiently  numerous  to  have  a church,  and  to  maintain 
worship  according  to  their  form ; but  we  never  chanced  to 
spend  a Sabbath  at  such  a village,  and  therefore  I cannot 
speak  of  their  observance  of  the  day. 

But  though  the  land  of  Egypt  has  no  Sabbath,  the 
traveller  may  enjoy  his  Sabbath  in  the  midst  of  its  darkness 
and  desolation.  Such  is  the  power  of  association,  that  even 
in  a strange  land,  and  among  scenes  most  foreign  to  the 
day,  the  Sabbath  returns  to  the  Christian  traveller  just  as 
it  is  wont  to  come  at  home  — a day  of  sacred  rest.  Our 
captain  was  given  to  understand  from  the  first,  that  we 
wished  no  labor  to  be  done  for  us  upon  that  day,  and  no 
unnecessary  work  to  be  done  on  board  the  boat,  and  the 
crew  seemed  to  comprehend  that  it  was  our  “ prayer  day.” 
We  always  made  it  a day  for  social  worship,  which  our 
dragoman  attended.  Our  exercises  were  varied ; some- 
times a familiar  conference ; sometimes  a more  formal 
discourse  ; sometimes  a detailed  exposition  and  collating  of 
passages  of  Scripture  referring  to  the  land  in  which  we 
were,  or  illustrated  by  passing  scenes ; and  then  the  most 
fervent  remembrance  of  the  dear  absent  ones  of  whose  state 
we  could  know  nothing,  of  our  dear  native  land,  and  espe- 
cially of  the  churches  of  Christ  in  that  land,  then  assembled 
for  the  worship  of  God.  At  such  times,  too,  hymns  long 
9 * 


102 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


familiar  would  come  with  a fresh  power  aud  unction ; such 
as  that  New  Year’s  hymn,  commencing,  — 

“ Great  God,  we  sing  that  mighty  hand,” 

and  especially  the  second  stanza : — 

“ By  day,  by  night,  at  home,  abroad, 

Still  we  are  guarded  by  our  God ; 

By  his  incessant  bounty  fed, 

By  his  unerring  counsel  led.” 

So,  too,  that  hymn  of  Madame  Guion , which,  to  be  appre- 
ciated, needs  an  experience  somewhat  like  that  which 
dictated  it : — 

“ This  world,  0 God,  like  that  above, 

Is  bright  to  those  who  know  thy  love ; 

Where’er  they  dwell,  they  dwell  with  thee; 

In  heaven,  in  earth,  or  in  the  sea. 

“ To  me  remains  nor  place,  nor  time, 

My  country  is  in  every  clime ; 

I can  be  calm  and  free  from  care 
On  any  shore,  since  God  is  there. 

“ While  place  we  seek,  or  place  we  shun, 

The  soul  finds  happiness  in  none ; 

But  with  my  God  to  guide  my  way, 

’Tis  equal  joy  to  go,  or  stay. 

“ Could  I be  cast  where  thou  art  not, 

That  were  indeed  a dreadful  lot ; 

But  regions  none  remote  I call, 

Secure  of  finding  God  in  all.” 

Sometimes,  indeed,  God  seemed  nearer  to  us  in  Egypt 
than  ever  before,  so  full  is  this  land  of  associations  with  the 
Bible.  We  seemed  to  live  over  the  life  of  Abraham,  of 
Joseph,  and  of  Moses,  and  to  see  continually  the  hand  of 


SABBATHS  ON  THE  NILE. 


103 


God  in  nature,  in  society,  and  in  history.  Occasionally  we 
found  opportunity  for  religious  conversation,  through  our 
interpreter,  with  the  people  of  a village,  or  for  quiet  medi- 
tation under  the  palms.  But  the  Sabbath  was  commonly 
more  quiet  in  the  boat,  away  from  villages  with  their  bark- 
ing dogs,' and  wretched  children  crying  “Backshish” 

One  Sabbath  afternoon,  as  our  boat  was  lying  in  front  of 
the  little  village  of  Humran,  some  ten  miles  north  of  Girgeh, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile,  we  walked  up  toward  a small 
cluster  of  mud-brick  habitations  under  a grove  of  palm- 
trees,  about  a quarter  of  a mile  from  the  river,  with  a view 
to  some  general  estimate  of  the  condition  and  the  disposi- 
tions of  the  people. 

Just  as  we  entered  the  palm  grove  whose  shade  had  al- 
lured us  from  the  river,  a group  of  men  gathered  around 
us  with  much  apparent  interest  and  friendliness.  One  of 
them  in  particular  attracted  our  attention  by  his  dignified 
and  courteous  bearing ; and  from  the  style  and  quality  of 
his  dress,  the  amber  mouth-piece  of  his  pipe,  and  the  defer- 
ence shown  to  him  by  the  rest,  we  inferred  that  he  was 
what  he  afterwards  proved  to  be,  the  sheik  or  chief  man  of 
the  village.  He  was  over  fifty  years  of  age,  and  his  fine 
black  beard  had  begun  to  silver,  but  his  eye  still  shone  with 
a mild  brightness,  which,  lighting  up  the  thoughtful  expres- 
sion of  a high  and  expansive  forehead,  gave  to  his  counte- 
nance an  air  of  unusual  intelligence.  I w6uld  have  selected 
him  anywhere  for  a reflecting,  devout,  benevolent,  and 
upright  man.  His  well-coiled  turban,  flowing  robe,  graceful 
shawl,  and  shining,  pointed  slippers,  set  off  his  erect  and 
well-proportioned  figure  and  his  truly  handsome  face,  far 
better  than  could  have  been  done  with  a Broadway  dress 
coat,  pants,  and  boots,  with  Genin’s  latest  Paris  hat,  and 
Mrs.  Beman’s  collars.  I hope  he  did  not  take  my  worn-out 
suit,  enveloped  in  a dressing-gown  of  divers  colors,  and  my 


104 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


outre  grass-cloth  cap,  though  of  Genin’s  make,  with  the 
accompaniment  of  a somewhat  oriental  beard,  as  a finished 
specimen  of  the  American  style.  The  dressing-gown,  how- 
ever, which  the  sailors  of  our  boat  had  already  pronounced 
teieb , teieb , “ good,  very  good,”  was  the  wonderment  of  all 
the  children  of  the  village,  who  slyly  pulled  it  from  behind, 
while  the  spectacles  and  blue  goggles  of  my  companion, 
were  an  equal  wonderment  to  older  heads.  I thought  the 
pipe,  which  is  an  abomination  in  the  mouth  of  an  American 
or  a European,  quite  a becoming  appendage  to  a turban,  a 
toga,  and  a flowing  beard ; — if  it  belongs  anywhere,  it 
would  seem  to  be  in  that  connection.  The  sheik  saluted  us 
with  great  cordiality,  and  seemed  quite  desirous  to  enter 
into  conversation ; but  as  we  had  come  ashore  without  either 
the  interpreter  or  an  Arabic  vocabulary,  a sad  messakoom 
(good  evening)  pretty  much  exhausted  our  conversational 
resources. 

I made  out,  however,  to  inquire  the  name  of  his  village, 
and  pointing  to  the  well-tilled  field,  told  him  it  was  teieb 
(good).  I then  told  him  the  name  of  my  town  and  country, 
of  which  he  seemed  to  have  no  definite  idea,  and  added  that 
we  were  Christians  — a name  that  had  sometimes  operated 
like  a charm  when  Copts  were  present.  He  understood  me 
to  ask  if  he  was  a Christian,  and  replied  that  he  was  a Mus- 
sulman, but  there  was  not  the  least  change  in  his  manner  in 
consequence  of  this  mutual  defining  of  our  religious  positions. 
I now  began  to  experiment  with  the  language  of  signs. 
Our  steersman,  wrho  was  with  us,  understood  the  English 
word  water ; so  pointing  toward  the  west,  I said,  “ America 
— water;”  then  made  the  motion  of  steamboat  paddles, 
which  they  recognized  at  once  from  having  seen  the  steam- 
boats of  the  Pasha  on  the  river,  — then  brought  together 
the  palms  of  my  hands,  according  to  their  mode  of  counting 
ten,  which,  twice  repeated,  and  one  hand  added,  made  twenty- 


SABBATHS  ON  THE  NILE. 


105 


five  “ iyam  ” (days).  They  understood  perfectly  that  Amer- 
ica was  twenty-five  days’  sail  by  steamboat.  But  recollecting 
the  slow  rate  of  their  river  steamers,  I made  the  time  forty- 
five  days,  to  give  them  a better  idea  of  the  distance.  We 
then  entered  upon  a general  introduction.  Pointing  to  the 
steersman,  I said,  u Hass  an,”  then  pointing  to  myself,  “ Too - 
sef”  at  which  the  spectators  seemed  quite  pleased,  for  in 
Egypt  the  name  Joseph  is  honorable  to  this  day.  They 
pointed  to  the  Professor,  who  answered  “Toma,”  and  then 
the  sheik  gave  us  his  own  name,  which  I will  not  attempt 
to  convert  into  English. 

As  the  interview  promised  to  be  one  of  much  interest,  we 
despatched  a messenger  to  the  boat  for  the  dragoman. 
This  was  accomplished  by  pointing  to  the  boat  and  saying, 
u Bedair  ” (his  name),  then  making  the  sign  of  conversation 
with  the  sheik,  and  adding,  “ Arabee-Inglees — Inglees-Ara - 
bee”  (Arabic-English  — English- Arabic).  One  of  the  sail- 
ors who  had  strolled  up  took  the  hint,  and  did  the  errand. 
While  he  was  gone,  the  sheik  resumed  his  seat  at  the  foot 
of  a tree,  which  he  had  left  for  the  purpose  of  saluting  us, 
and  the  other  villagers  formed  a circle  around  him,  as  he 
leisurely  whiffed  away  through  his  amber  mouth-piece.  But 
every  eye  was  fixed  upon  the  two  Hawagees. 

A new  idea  now  struck  me.  With  the  point  of  my  stick, 
I began  to  draw  upon  the  ground  certain  cabalistic  lines,  at 
which  they  gazed  as  if  the  veritable  Yoosef,  the  interpre- 
ter of  dreams^  had  reappeared,  invested  with  magic  powers. 
At  length,  after  warding  off  the  children  from  the  marks,  I 
traced  a rude  outline  map  of  Africa,  Europe,  and  America ; 
then  pointing  to  the  Nile,  I showed  them  Mizr  (Egypt),  from 
the  Mizraim  of  Scripture,  and  Arabia  beyond,  and  then 
Cairo,  also  called  Mizr,  El  Iskanderieh  (Alexandria),  Stam- 
boul  (Constantinople),  Europa,  and  following  the  Mediterra- 
nean and  repeating  the  word  water,  I came  to  Inglees  (Eng- 


106 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


land),  and  then  slowly  tracing  the  Atlantic,  saying  “water 
— water,”  and,  imitating  a steamboat,  I carried  them  to  New 
York.  This  first  easy  lesson  in  geography  filled  them  with 
astonishment  and  delight.  “ Teieb , teieb , teieb,  Jceteer”  (Good, 
good,  very  good),  went  the  rounds  of  the  circle. 

By  this  time  the  dragoman  had  arrived,  and  with  him  a 
soldier  of  the  Pasha’s  army,  who  chanced  to  be  quartered 
in  the  village,  and  half  a dozen  of  our  boat’s  crew,  who 
seemed  to  think  we  needed  their  protection.  The  map  was 
now  more  fully  explained ; but  when  they  were  told  that 
America  was  six  thousand  miles  distant,  they  shook  their 
heads  with  an  air  of  incredulity,  and  it  was  only  by  giving 
distances  in  detail,  to  Constantinople,  of  which  they  had 
some  idea,  to  France,  to  England,  and  then  to  America,  that 
they  could  be  made  to  believe  it.  I told  the  sheik  that 
vessels  sailed  from  Stamboul  to  New  York,  and  that  I had 
seen  in  New  York  the  flag  of  his  country,  which  seemed  to 
please  him  much ; also  that  in  our  country  we  had  read  in 
books  about  Egypt,  and  had  now  come  to  see  it ; that 
' we  were  going  to  Thebes  and  then  to  Stamboul ; that  we 
thought  well  of  the  Sultan  (as  every  American  Christian 
should,  for  his  firman  of  toleration  to  the  Armenian  Protes- 
tants, and  for  his  noble  treatment  of  Kossuth)  ; that  we 
were  much  pleased  with  Egypt,  but  we  did  not  wish  to  get 
possession  of  it  (as  probably  France,  and  England,  and 
Russia  do),  for  we  had  a fine  large  country  of  our  own.  I 
then  traced  the  seaboard  of  the  United  States  along  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  told  him  the  number 
of  miles ; but  I did  not  venture  to  bring  in  California  and 
the  Pacific  coast,  lest  he  should  again  become  incredulous. 
I then  drew  the  Mississippi  River,  and  told  him  it  was  like 
the  Nile,  and  that  we  had  cotton,  and  sugar-cane,  and  wheat 
in  great  plenty.  He  showed  the  practical  turn  of  his  mind, 
by  asking  at  once  the  cost  of  machines  for  watering  the 
country. 


SABBATHS  ON  THE  NILE. 


107 


He  was  surprised  to  hear  that  there  are  no  shadoofs  or 
sakias  on  the  Mississippi,  hut  that  sufficient  rain  falls  to 
irrigate  the  land  ; and  he  seemed  to  regard  this  as  a great 
advantage.  And  so  it  is ; for  in  Egypt  the  land-owner 
must  erect  his  own  water-wheels,  and  as  the  land  is  held 
or  rented  in  very  small  lots,  the  expense  of  watering  it  by 
the  toilsome  process  of  the  shadoof  is  a main  item  in  the 
cultivation.  Frequently  three  or  four  neighbors  combine 
and  work  the  shadoofs  in  company  for  their  common  bene- 
fit. But  on  the  other  hand,  a land  of  rains  requires  better 
building  materials  than  are  found  in  Egypt,  and  especially 
shingles,  for  which  this  country  furnishes  no  wood,  unless 
the  bark  and  leaves  of  the  palm  could  be  made  a substitute. 
The  statement  that  land  could  be  bought  for  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  and  held  in  perpetuity  by  the 
purchaser,  sounded  strangely  in  a land  where  the  greater 
part  of  the  soil  is  held  in  fee  by  the  Pasha,  and  can  be 
bought  only  at  from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars  the  acre,  sub- 
ject to  a government  tax  of  three  dollars. 

I next  explained  the  manner  of  electing  our  President, 
and  all  our  principal  men.  I knew  that  this  was  delicate 
ground  to  tread  upon  with  the  sheik  of  a village,  in  the 
hearing  of  his  dependents,  and  of  a soldier  of  Abbas  Pasha  ; 
but  I watched  the  expression  of  his  countenance  till  a 
gleam  of  satisfaction  passed  over  it,  and  then  said  inquir- 
ingly, teieb  ? “ Teieb”  “ teieb”  responded  the  sheik,  soldier, 

and  all.  The  sheik  now  asked  how  much  we  paid  our 
President,  and  on  hearing  the  sum,  he  eagerly  inquired 
whether  the  President  could  not  come  and  seize  more 
money  or  the  produce  of  the  land.  This  question  assured 
me  of  the  sheik’s  dissatisfaction  with  the  burdens  and 
oppressions  under  which  Egypt  groans.  Here  every  thing 
is  at  the  absolute  and  capricious  will  of  one  man,  and  just 
now  one  of  the  worst  of  men.  Besides  the  tax  upon  the 


108 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


land,  a yearly  tax  is  levied  upon  the  palm-tree,  with  which 
the  poor  peasant  ornaments  his  dwelling,  and  from  which 
he  gathers  a few  handfuls  of  dates.  Sometimes,  too,  part 
of  the  produce  of  the  soil  is  seized  under  various  pretexts. 
Nor  is  this  the  worst  of  the  Egyptian  peasant’s  lot.  He  is 
liable  to  be  seized  and  dragged  away  by  violence  to  labor 
on  the  public  works,  in  a distant  part  of  the  country,  or  to 
serve  in  the  army  of  the  Pasha.  The  strong  domestic  feel- 
ings of  the  Egyptian  render  him  more  averse  to  such  an 
impressment,  than  are  persons  of  the  corresponding  class 
in  France  or  Italy. 

When  it  was  explained  to  the  sheik  that  in  the  United 
States  the  people  vote  the  taxes,  and  the  people  fight  when 
war  is  necessary,  and  that  the  President  cannot  seize  any 
man’s  property  or  person,  for  any  purpose  whatever,  both 
he  and  the  soldier  expressed  their  great  admiration  of  such 
a government,  and  to  my  surprise  the  sheik  inquired  with 
some  earnestness,  whether  we  would  permit  a Mussulman  to 
live  in  our  country  f I had  noticed  quite  a disposition  in 
one  or  two  of  our  crew  to  attach  themselves  to  our  service 
for  life,  and  to  go  back  with  us  to  America ; but  I was 
astonished  at  a proposal  to  emigrate  from  a staid  Mussul- 
man, the  head  man  of  a village.  This,  however,  was  just 
the  opportunity  I had  been  seeking  for  giving  to  the  con- 
versation a religious  turn.  Having  first  explained  to  him 
that  the  country  was  not  all  like  the  Mississippi  valley,  or 
the  valley  of  the  Nile,  but  that  at  this  season,  in  some  parts, 
it  was  deeply  covered  with  snow,  and  that  anywhere  he 
must  expect  to  labor  hard  for  his  living ; I told  him  that 
there  were  no  Mussulmen  in  America  and  no  mosques,  but 
that  in  America  we  never  cut  off  a man’s  head,  or  put  him 
in  prison,  or  molest  him  in  any  way,  on  account  of  his  reli- 
gion, and  that  no  one  would  trouble  him  there  because  he 
was  a Mussulman. 


MISSIONARY  INCIDENT. 


109 


During  the  conversation  a Copt  liad  drawn  near,  whom 
we  recognized  at  once  by  his  black  turban,  but  toward  whom 
we  did  not  think  it  expedient  to  show  any  special  attention, 
lest  we  might  be  taken  for  Christians  of  the  same  school. 
But  his  presence  suggested  the  importance  of  making  an 
explicit  statement  of  our  Christianity.  Accordingly  the 
sheik  was  told  that  we  were  Christians,  but  did  not  worship 
images,  pictures,  or  saints ; that  we  loved  Allah , (God,)  and 
worshipped  Him  alone ; that  the  Bible  gave  us  the  story 
of  Abraham  and  of  Joseph — names  with  which  Mussulmen 
are  familiar ; that  we  loved  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  because 
he  had  come  into  the  world  to  teach  us,  and  to  save  us  from 
our  sins ; that  there  were  some  who  called  themselves 
Christians,  who  prayed  to  saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary,  just 
as  if  the  Sultan  had  a great  many  ministers,  and  one  should 
go  and  pray  to  them  all  round  as  well  as  to  him ; but  we 
went  directly  to  the  Sultan  and  to  his  Son  for  all  that  we 
desired ; — we  prayed  only  to  God  and  to  Christ.  During 
this  explanation,  the  most  intense  interest  was  depicted  upon 
every  countenance,  but  all  seemed  to  wait  the  reply  of  the 
sheik.  He  at  once  pronounced  it  a most  excellent  and 
beautiful  religion,  and  the  mode  of  worship  true  and  right. 
Nothing  was  said  on  either  side  about  Mohammed  or  the . 
Koran. 

Next  I told  him  that  in  America,  in  every  village  like 
his  own,  there  is  a school,  where  all  the  children  of  the 
village  are  taught  to  read  and  write  without  expense  to 
their  parents.  Pointing  to  children  of  different  ages  who 
stood  around,  he  inquired  if  they  would  all  go  to  school 
in  America ; and  when  answered  affirmatively,  he  again 
exclaimed,  “ Teieb , teieb , heteer (Good,  very  good).  Here 
the  Copt  brought  forward  his  son,  a lad  about  eight  years 
old,  and  told  us  that  he  went  to  school, — for  the  Copts  have 
almost  a monopoly  of  reading  and  writing  in  Egypt,  Then 
10 


110 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


taking  off  the  boy’s  cap,  he  showed  me  a sorry  head,  cov- 
ered with  scabs,  for  which  he  wanted  me  to  prescribe.  But 
not  being  versed  in  cutaneous  diseases,  and  having  no 
materials  for  a wash  but  laudanum,  camphor,  and  hartshorn, 
I did  not  venture  to  meddle  with  it.  A little  sugar  of  lead 
might  have  been  serviceable. 

The  sun  had  now  set,  and  it  was  time  for  our  little 
congregation  to  disperse ; but  I was  unwilling  to  go  away 
without  some  definite  expression  of  their  feelings  toward  a 
missionary , in  case  one  should  be  sent  among  them.  I 
therefore  said,  “ Suppose  that  I should  come  here  and  live 
in  your  villages,  — not  to  quarrel  with  you  about  your 
religion ; not  to  get  your  money  or  your  land,  but  to  talk 
with  you  about  God ; to  teach  your  children,  and  to  do  you 
all  the  good  in  my  power ; what  would  you  do  with  me  ? 
would  you  let  me  stay,  or  would  you  send  me  away  ? ” 
With  one  voice  they  all  answered,  “We  would  take  you 
on  our  heads ; we  would  take  you  into  our  houses ; we 
would  give  you  land ; we  would  give  you  bread  ; we  would 
give  you  dates ; we  would  give  you  sheep ; we  would  give 
you  water ; we  would  send  you  our  children ; wre  would 
bring  to  you  our  people.”  I told  them  that  we  hoped  they 
would  love  God  and  serve  Him,  and  meet  us  in  heaven. 
The  sheik  answered,  that  there  were  many  men  in  the 
village  who  loved  God,  and  prayed  and  fasted  and  gave 
alms,  and  did  what  was  right,  so  as  to  go  to  Paradise.  We 
then  bade  him  adieu.  He  said  he  was  very  sorry  that  we 
were  going  away  so  soon.  One  old  man  followed  us  to  the 
boat.  Not  even  a child  in  the  whole  village  asked  us  for 
backshish . All  seemed  to  regard  us  "with  favor.  And  when 
we  consider  that  with  one  exception  the  whole  group  was 
composed  of  Mussulmen,  that  among  them  were  the  Shekh- 
belled , (head  man  of  the  town,)  a soldier  of  the  Pasha’s 
army,  old  men  and  children,  and  sailors  from  different  parts 


MISSIONARY  INCIDENT. 


Ill 


of  the  country,  who  could  report  every  thing  that  was  said, 
this  open  avowal  of  a willingness  to  have  a Christian  come 
and  teach  them  and  their  children,  must  be  taken  as  a proof, 
that  so  far  as  the  people  are  concerned,  in  some  of  the 
smaller  towns  of  Egypt,  remote  from  the  capital,  the  way  is 
already  open  for  a missionary.  I do  not  suppose  that  this  is 
true  of  the  larger  towns,  where  there  are  mosques,  and 
where  the  TJlemas  (the  priests  or  doctors  of  Islam)  reside, 
or  in  towns  under  the  immediate  influence  of  the  capital, 
and  I have  no  doubt  that  the  renunciation  of  Mohammedan- 
ism by  any  considerable  number  of  persons,  would  attract 
the  notice  of  the  government  — would  provoke  persecution 
— and  would  even  lead  to  the  infliction  of  the  death  penalty 
according  to  the  law.  Still  the  way  is  open  for  a Mission  in 
Egypt,  and  a judicious  person  or  persons,  having  a knowl- 
edge of  the  language,  with  a genial  disposition,  and  a large 
sympathy  with  humanity,  and  withal  possessing  some  medi- 
cal skill,  might  gain  access  to  the  feelings  of  the  people 
generally,  and  prepare  the  way  for  future  laborers,  even 
among  the  Mussulmen. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


MARRIAGE  AND  MOURNING. 

One  evening,  just  as  we  had  retired  to  our  berths,  the 
cry  was  heard,  “ Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh : go  ye 
forth  to  meet  him ; ” a cry  uttered  not  in  words,  hut  in  the 
noise  of  tambourines,  and  reed  fifes,  and  such  sounds  as 
the  unmusical  Arabs  utter  for  song.  It  was  the  sound  of  a 
marriage  procession  in  the  village  at  which  we  were  an- 
chored. For  several  days  there  had  been  feasting  at  the 
house  of  the  father  of  the  bride,  and  now  the  bridegroom 
with  his  friends  had  come  to  take  her  to  his  own  home. 
She  was  mounted  behind  him  on  the  same  horse,  and  the 
procession,  lighted  with  torches,  and  enlivened  with  rude 
music,  moved  noisily  through  all  the  streets  of  the  village, 
honored  the  boats  of  the  Hawagee  with  a visit,  and  finally 
halted  at  the  door  of  the  bridegroom.  After  sundry  Jewish 
customs  that  are  common  also  to  the  Ishmaelitish  branch  of 
Abraham’s  posterity,  the  crowd  dispersed  to  their  homes. 
Next  morning,  presents  would  be  sent  by  all  the  village ; 
but  the  bride  would  remain  secluded  for  thirty  days. 

A few  days  after  this  incident,  as  we  were  walking  by  a 
little  village  on  the  western  bank,  our  attention  was  arrested 
by  loud  outcries,  which  seemed  to  proceed  from  both  sides 
of  the  river,  and  on  the  opposite  bank  we  saw  some  women 
making  violent  gesticulations,  accompanied  with  piercing 
screams.  At  the  same  time  a confused  wailing  arose  from 
the  village,  and,  directing  our  steps  thither,  we  saw  a num- 


MARRIAGE  AND  MOURNING. 


113 


ber  of  women  seated  on  the  ground,  swinging  themselves  to 
and  fro,  throwing  dust  upon  their  heads,  and  uttering  a low 
murmuring  cry,  that  seemed  to  be  a repetition  of  the  same 
words,  in  a plaintive,  monotonous  chant.  Others  were 
walking  up  and  down,  throwing  their  arms  in  the  air,  tear- 
ing their  long  cotton  hoods,  shaking  their  dresses  violently, 
and  shrieking  as  if  distracted  with  grief.  All  the  women 
of  the  village  were  gathered  around  one  of  the  little  hovels, 
which  seemed  to  be  the  centre  of  this  strange  commotion. 
Presently  the  women  whom  we  had  seen  on  the  opposite 
bank  arrived  in  a boat,  and  came  in  mournful  procession  to 
join  in  the  wailing  of  the  village.  Some  were  chanting  the 
same  dolorous  chant ; others,  throwing  aside  their  garments, 
would  shriek  at  intervals ; and  each  one  as  she  reached  the 
group  at  the  village,  would  utter  a shrill,  piercing  scream, 
such  as  we  had  first  heard  from  the  other  side  of  the  river. 

On  inquiring  the  occasion  of  this  grief,  we  learned  that  a 
little  child,  playing  near  the  river  the  day  before,  had  fallen 
in  and  was  drowned ; and  though  according  to  the  present 
custom  of  the  country  he  had  already  been  committed  to 
the  dust,  the  neighbors,  far  and  near,  had  gathered  to  mourn 
with  his  mother.  The  absence  of  male  persons  from  this 
assembly  of  women,  forcibly  reminded  us  of  the  frequent  al- 
lusions in  the  Scriptures  to  the  mourning  of  women  ; and  the 
whole  scene  answered  to  the  details  of  such  scenes  in  the 
Old  Testament.*  The  effect  was  peculiar.  There  were  per- 
haps in  all  thirty  women,  all  dressed  in  the  uniform  style  of 
the  poorer  class  of  women  in  Egypt,  with  a long,  loose  gar- 
ment of  dark  blue  cotton  cloth,  and  a hood  of  the  same 
material  covering  the  head  and  descending  to  the  waist. 
These  melancholy  looking  figures  passing  to  and  fro,  shriek- 
ing, howling,  wailing,  throwing  open  their  hoods  and  dis- 
figuring themselves  with  dirt,  jerking  their  garments  as  if 

* See  Jer.  ix.  17,  xxxi.  15. 

10* 


114 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


they  would  tear  them  to  pieces,  seemed  the  very  impersona- 
tion of  despair.  I know  not  how  long  this  scene  continued 
— perhaps  till  nature  was  exhausted  — but  for  more  than  a 
mile  beyond  the  village,  we  continued  to  hear  that  wild 
piercing  cry  that  had  first  startled  us. 

I was  in  no  mood  to  criticize  such  a mode  of  manifesting 
sorrow.  There,  upon  the  borders  of  the  Lybian  Desert,  and 
with  the  bare  and  solemn  mountains  upon  either  hand,  the 
grief  that  rent  the  still  air  seemed  but  the  gushing  forth  of 
nature.  I could  never  brook  the  senseless,  soulless  custom 
of  some  American  cities,  which  fashion  and  not  feeling  dic- 
tates, that  woman  should  not  follow  to  the  sepulchre  the 
precious  dust  of  father,  husband,  child  — should  not  see 
where  that  dust  is  laid,  nor  feel  the  solemn,  tender  influence 
of  the  open  grave.  My  whole  heart  went  with  those  mourn- 
ing women ; for  is  it  not  the  same  for  the  little  child  to  die 
upon  the  Nile  as  upon  the  Hudson  ? Yet 

“ Only  with  silence  as  their  benediction 
God’s  angels  come, 

When,  in  the  shadow  of  a great  affliction, 

The  soul  sits  dumb.” 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ORIENTALIZING A VILLAGE  COFFEE-HOUSE. 

As  I sat  writing  this  morning  in  my  cabin  while  the  boat 
was  driving  before  a stiff  north  wind  — most  welcome  after 
days  of  calm  — I felt  a sudden  shock  that  indicated  that 
she  had  brought  up  against  the  bank,  and  hurrying  out, 
had  barely  time  to  spring  ashore  for  a walk  with  the  re  is 
and  the  dragoman,  who  were  going  by  a short  cut  to  a 
distant  town  to  buy  provisions,  and  there  to  await  the  arri- 
val of  the  boat  by  the  winding  of  the  river.  Shaheen,  a 
tall  and  well-proportioned  Arab  who  had  taken  a fancy  to 
accompany  us  in  our  walks,  went  also  as  a sort  of  escort, 
armed  with  his  club  against  barking  dogs  and  imaginary 
robbers.  The  suddenness  of  my  exit  had  left  no  time  for 
inquiry,  and  it  was  not  till  I had  mounted  the  steep  bank, 
and  had  strained  my  eyes  to  see  the  farthest  palm-trees, 
that  I realized  what  a walk  I had  undertaken.  Our  way 
lay  across  one  of  those  vast  deposits  of  alluvium  under  the 
lee  of  the  mountains,  for  which  the  Upper  Nile  is  so 
remarkable.  The  bald  projection  of  Gebel  Shekh  Hereedee 
— a long  table  mountain  of  a yellowish  stone,  some  five 
hundred  feet  high,  that  juts  out  from  the  Arabian  chain  — 
lay  immediately  behind  us  on  the  north-east,  and  a broad 
plain  of  mixed  clay  and  sand,  that  the  washings  of  the  river 
had  deposited,  stretched  for  miles  around  its  base ; while 
the  river  bent  its  course  westward  toward  the  Lybian  chain, 


116 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


where  it  is  now  undermining  villages  that  have,  stood  for 
years  upon  a similar  formation. 

For  two  hours  we  walked  over  this  plain  under  a burn- 
ing sun,  the  thermometer  being  nearly  80°  in  the  cool 
exposure  of  the  boat.  In  some  parts  the  soil  equalled  the 
richest  bottoms  of  Illinois,  and  was  covered  with  wheat 
already  ripening,  as  heavy  as  any  prairie  of  the  West  can 
yield.  In  others  the  third  annual  crop  of  clover  was  dif- 
fusing its  fragrance,  and  inviting  the  numerous  herds  of  cat- 
tle to  regale  upon  its  sweetness.  Long  rows  of  onions  — the 
slender  and  delicate  white  onions  of  this  country  — were 
interspersed  over  the  arable  ground,  their  green  tops 
waving  like  tall  grass ; and  adjacent  to  these  in  the  sandy 
soil,  as  sandy  as  New  Jersey,  were  melon  vines  in  great 
abundance  — every  inch  of  ground  that  could  be  redeemed 
from  the  desert  or  the  river,  being  in  some  way  improved. 
All  this  looked  homelike. 

But  no  Illinois  bottoms  or  Jersey  sands  can  present  such 
scenery  as  meets  the  eye  upon  that  burning  plain  along  the 
bank  of  the  Nile.  Prairie-like,  it  was  entirely  destitute  of 
fences  and  of  stones.  For  fences  there  is  no  substitute  in 
Egypt,  of  hedge,  or  wall,  or  ditch,  or  bank  of  earth,  for 
there  is  no  visible  partition  of  the  land ; and  yet  the  land  is 
sometimes  parcelled  out  in  patches  of  one,  two,  or  three 
acres,  or  even  less,  to  suit  the  limited  resources  of  the  peo- 
ple. A stone  stuck  in  the*  ground  at  intervals,  defines  a 
boundary  as  surely  and  as  sacredly  as  a wall  of  iron.  The 
“ ancient  landmark  ” stands  untouched  from  generation  to 
generation.  Each  cultivator  knows  his  own  limits,  and 
each  grazier  keeps  his  cattle  within  the  appointed  bounds. 
Hence,  as  in  Switzerland,  the  necessity  of  continually 
tending  the  flocks  and  herds. 

Over  this  immense  plain  were  scattered  villages,  which, 
on  account  of  their  exposure  to  desert  tribes,  were  sur- 


ORIENTALIZING. 


117 


rounded  with  walls,  or  a stockade  of  tall  heavy  cornstalks, 
thickly  set  and  covered  with  a coat  of  mud,  answering  no 
doubt  to  the  walled  towns  of  ancient  times. 

Here,  for  the  first  time  in  Egypt,  I saw  wells  sunk  in  the 
earth  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  from  the  river.  These 
wrere  furnished  with  rude  buckets  of  skin,  and  with  troughs 
for  the  cattle.  Rebekah  came  out  from  the  town  with  her 
water  jar  upon  her  head,  and  having  filled  her  vessel,  gave 
drink  to  the  camels  also.  As  in  the  sultry  noon  I sat 
wearily  by  the  well-side,  the  woman  of  Samaria  gave  me  to 
drink.  Tbe  Oriental  pictures  of  the  Bible  became  living 
scenes.  Walking  on  apart  from  villages,  I found  such 
“booths”  as  Jacob  built  for  his  cattle,  scattered  over  the 
plain ; booths  of  cane-brake  and  palm  leaves,  to  give  shelter 
to  the  flocks,  and  to  those  that  tended  them  — every  thing 
unchanged  in  the  habits  of  the  East.  Yet  not  so  with  man’s 
dominion ; for  stumbling  over  a broken  column  used  as  a 
step,  before  one  of  the  gates  of  Ekhmim,  I was  reminded 
that  the  old  Egyptian,  the  Greek,  and  the  Roman,  had  all 
passed  away  ; and  regarding  the  rude  plastered  oval  tombs 
of  sundry  Moslem  sheiks  and  saints,  I bethought  me  of 
Nestorius,  who  here  closed  in  death  his  sixteen  years  of 
exile  under  the  decree  of  the  Council  of  Ephesus.  But  I 
could  get  no  trace  of  his  grave. 

I entered  Ekhmim,  that  boasts  the  site  of  one  of  the 
most  aticient  cities  of  Egypt,  founded  by  an  immediate  son 
of  Ham,  and  still  a town  of  considerable  importance.  It 
was  Friday,  the  Mohammedan  Sabbath,  which,  like  Sunday 
in  Continental  Europe,  is  observed  only  during  canonical 
hours.  While  the  mosque  was  crowded  with  men,  appar- 
ently devout  in  prayer  and  chanting,  the  bazaar  was  half 
open,  and  the  women  sat  as  usual  with  eggs  and  lentils  and 
bread  for  sale. 

Taking  a seat  on  a divan,  in  front  of  a coffee-house,  under 


118 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  shade  of  palm-leaf  mats,  I sipped  with  my  companions  a 
Jingan  of  the  universal  beverage,  and  while  they  whiffed 
their  pipes,  and  the  water  carrier  laid  the  dust  about  our 
feet,  I leisurely  enjoyed  the  East.  In  the  wake  off  the 
water  sprinkler  came  the  Erksoosee , the  water  crier,  who 
either  sells  you  a portion  poured  from  his  cool  earthen  jar 
— stopped  with  a tuft  of  grass  or  of  palm  leaves  — into  a 
brazen  dish,  or  if  he  be  a saint,  bestows  it  upon  you  for 
charity  and  the  love  of  God. 

The  dispenser  of  water  who  approached  our  seat  was  one 
employed  by  some  charitable  Mussulman  to  distribute  this 
favor  to  passengers,  and  as  he  jingled  his  cups  together,  and 
uttered  his  shrill  cry  of  invitation,  Sebeel  Allah  Yaatshan , 
I felt  that  as  of  old,  poetry,  hospitality,  and  love,  retained 
their  home  in  the  Eastern  world. 

Quiet,  easy,  deliciously  cool,  soft,  and  dreamy,  was  that 
hour  of  bazaar  life,  after  the  heat  of  the  plain.  Shaheen 
had  determined  to  encase  his  feet  in  slippers.  Full  half  an 
hour  was  consumed  in  a bargain,  and  in  the  payment  of 
thirty  cents.  Then  the  seller  tendered  the  buyer  his  pipe, 
and  another  half  hour  was  slowly  puffed  away.  Presently 
others  of  the  crew  appeared,  announcing  the  arrival  of  the 
boat.  But  what  a transformation ! Turbans,  tarbouches, 
kaftans,  slippers,  — I felt  proud  of  such  a retinue  of  peers 
in  court  dress,  until  I accidentally  discovered  that  this  dis- 
play was  for  quite  other  eyes  upon  the  Upper  Nile. 

At  Ekhmim  one  sees  in  striking  contrast  the  ancient  and 
the  modern.  By  some  considered  the  oldest  city  of  all 
Egypt,  — dating  from  the  first  generation  after  the  flood,  — 
it  was  long  one  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  Thebaid  for 
trade  and  for  worship.  “According  to  Strabo,  its  inhabi- 
tants were  famous  as  linen  manufacturers  and  workers  in 
stone.”  Here  was  a splendid  temple  of  Pan.  Here  mon- 
arclis  of  successive  dynasties  have  recorded  their  names, 


A VILLAGE  COFFEE-HOUSE. 


119 


from  Thothmes  to  Trajan.  Here  was  a powerful  seat  of 
Christianity,  and  a refuge  of  the  witnesses  for  the  faith. 
Now  hardly  a vestige  remains  of  its  ancient  grandeur.  The 
town  has  shrunk  to  the  dimensions  of  a moderate  village, 
that  one  could  compass  in  a quarter  of  an  hour.  Its  walls 
are  of  common  mud  brick;  its  houses  are  low  and  untidy ; 
its  streets  are  narrow  and  crooked  alleys ; and ' its  bazaar 
displays  only  an  indifferent  assortment  of  the  commonest 
goods.  The  mosque  and  the  large  khan  opposite,  are  the 
only  structures  that  make  any  pretence  to  solidity  or  beauty ; 
and  whatever  these  have  is  due  to  the  working  in  of  frag- 
ments of  buildings  that  have  long  since  perished.  Here 
and  there  you  see  jutting  from  the  mud  wall  of  a hovel  the 
fragment  of  a pillar  or  a block  of  red  granite,  with  some 
Greek,  Roman,  or  hieroglyphic  inscription  ; or  a vender  of 
antiques  offers  you  indiscriminately  the  coins  of  ancient 
Rome  and  of  modern  British  India. 

The  common  people  look  wretchedly.  Shabby  women 
and  sore-eyed  children,  blind  men  and  beggars,  meet  .you 
at  every  turn.  Outside  the  walls  a long  embankment  pro- 
tects the  town,  and  the  adjacent  fields,  from  the  yearly 
overflow  ojf  the  river,  while  artificial  canals  conduct  the 
waters  where  they  are  needed  for  irrigation.  Here  a 
large  field  of  poppies  of  various  colors,  in  full  bloom,  gave 
a rich  and  diversified  aspect  to  the  scene,  — and  the  palms, 
as  ever,  waved  aloft  in  aerial  beauty.  Thus,  continually,  in 
Egypt,  do  you  pass  from  the  grandeur  of  the  past  to  the 
degradation  of  the  present,  and  again  from  the  dreary  facts 
of  human  life  to  the  dreamy  poetry  of  nature. 

As  I have  frequently  alluded  to  the  coffee-house  as  a 
characteristic  feature  in  every  village  on  the  Nile,  the 
following  sketch  of  one  and  its  incidents,  may  complete  the 
picture  in  the  eye  of  the  reader. 

This  being  the  birthday  of  one  of  our  party,  it  was  pro- 


120 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


posed  that  we  should  commemorate  it  by  a cup  of  coffee  at 
the  first  village.  This  chanced  to  be  the  village  of  Golosa- 
neh  on  the  Upper  Nile,  which  to  the  usual  stack  of  mud- 
brick  hovels  intersected  with  narrow  lanes,  adds  the  accom- 
paniments of  lofty  pigeon  towers,  a grove  of  acacia  and  sont 
trees,  and  a picturesque  sheik’s  tomb  without  the  village 
precincts.  On  the  bank  of  the  river  was  a hut  some  ten 
feet  square,  within  which  upon  either  side  was  a raised  seat 
or  bench  of  hard-baked  mud,  covered  with  rude  mats.  In 
one  corner  was  an  oven  of  the  same  material,  with  a little 
fire  of  coals.  Around  were  disposed  a number  of  tiny 
china  cups,  such  as  little  girls  use  in  their  play,  together 
with  brass  stands,  or  holders,  turned  in  the  shape  of  an  egg. 
The  cup  is  called  jingan  and  the  holder  zarf  Over  the 
fire  simmered  a vessel  of  hot  water,  and  beside  it  stood  a 
little  pint  mug  with  an  iron  handle.  This  completed 
the  equipment  of  the  establishment.  When  coffee  was 
ordered,  the  proprietor  put  into  the  mug  aforesaid  two  or 
three  large  spoonfuls  of  the  fragrant  Mocha,  poured  hot 
water  over  it,  boiled  it  a few  moments  on  the  fire,  and  then 
poured  it  into  the  cups  without  milk  or  sugar,  but  piping 
hot. 

One  of  our  party  requested  sugar,  and  a lump  of  a rather 
doubtful  complexion  was  dropped  into  his  Jingan  to  dissolve 
at  leisure.  It  made  quite  a palatable  beverage.  This  is 
the  usual  style  of  the  coffee-shops  in  the  villages.  In  larger 
towns  they  may  have  better  mats  and  a few  low  cane  stools 
for  sitting  a la  Turk  ; but  always  the  divan,  and  the  little 
fire,  and  the  hot  water,  and  the  tiny  cups,  and  the  coffee 
fresh  boiled  for  each  customer.  Here  the  villagers  meet  to 
drink  coffee  and  smoke  pipes,  which  is  a decided  advance 
upon  drinking  brandy  and  chewing  tobacco.  There  are  no 
dram-shops,  and  the  coffee-shop  is  a legitimate  business,' Tor 
often  in  the  bazaar  the  shop-tender  will  send  for  his  coffee 


A VILLAGE  COFFEE-HOUSE. 


121 


from  the  coffee-shop  and  his  thin  loaf  from  the  baker,  and 
sit,  and  drink,  and  eat,  and  smoke,  while  waiting  for  a sale. 

The  cost  of  such  a cup  of  coffee,  even  with  sugar,  is 
hardly  appreciable  in  American  currency.  A five  para 
coin  for  a cup,  sugar  and  all ; and  eight  five  para  pieces 
make  a piastre,  which  is  about  five  cents.  Among  the 
crowd  of  curious  villagers  standing  at  the  door  of  the  coffee- 
house, two  females  attracted  our  notice.  One  dark  as 
Nubia,  had  a fine  countenance  and  bright  speaking  eyes ; 
the  other,  copper-colored,  had  a haughty  air,  and  evidently 
sought  admiration  for  the  gold  lace  upon  her  head  and  the 
ring  in  her  nose.  They  were  richly  attired,  and  wore 
frontlets  of  gold  and  anklets  of  silver.  Our  interpreter 
assured  us  that  they  were  decent  women  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  said  he  had  ordered  them  coffee  at  our  expense  ; 
but  after  we  had  learned  better  to  distinguish  character 
by  dress  we  concluded  not  to  boast  of  our  company  ! 


11 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


CROCODILES. 

TiIere  are  no  crocodiles  to  be  seen  north  of  Minieh,  in 
latitude  28°.  As  I have  before  remarked,  the  Arabs  believe 
that  at  that  point  a prophet  or  saint  arrests  their  progress  up 
the  river,  by  turning  them  over  on  their  backs,  through 
some  incantation,  or  possibly  by  spiritual  magnetism.  Mr. 
Wilkinson  speaks  of  having  seen  them  on  the  bank  opposite 
Minieh.  We  had  ordered  a sharp  look-out  to  be  kept  for' 
them  as  we  ascended  the  river,  but  had  almost  begun  to 
despair  of  seeing  them,  when,  as  we  were  lying  near 
Bellianeh,  in  latitude  26°,  we  descried  seven  of  these  huge 
creatures  basking  in  the  sun,  upon  the  little  sand  bars  that 
jut  out  from  the  opposite  shore.  They  were  from  twelve 
to  twenty  feet  in  length,  with  enormous  jaws,  and  huge 
serrated  tails.  They  all  seemed  to  be  asleep,  and  in  one 
spot  two  were  lying  quite  cozily  together.  The  next  day 
we  again  saw  five  in  a similar  position,  basking  on  the  sand 
in  the  sweltering  noon,  entirely  out  of  water.  We  could 
not  get  very  near  them  on  account  of  the  shoals ; but  one 
of  the  sailors  fired  a gun,  the  report  of  which  startled  them, 
and  in  an  instant  they  precipitated  themselves  into  the  river 
with  a most  ungainly  waddle.  We  never  saw  any  after  this, 
and,  indeed,  our  re'is  informed  us  in  his  broken  English,  that 
crocodilo  was  finish , a welcome  announcement,  since  it 
enabled  us  to  enjoy,  without  fear,  our  bath  in  the  oily- 
smooth  waters  of  the  Nile.  The  crocodiles  are  probably 


CROCODILES. 


123 


attracted  to  this  section  of  the  river  by  the  abundance  of 
sand  and  the  warmth  of  the  water.  A miniature  specimen, 
about  eighteen  inches  long,  was  presented  to  us,  which 
flourished  awhile  in  the  wash-tub,  but  being  of  a surly 
disposition,  refused  to  eat,  and  died.  He  would  snap  at  a 
stick,  however,  and  would  hold  it  with  a grip  of  his  infant 
jaws,  that  foreshadowed  what  these  would  do  with  the  legs 
or  body  of  a man. 

The  crocodile  species  seems  to  be  dying  out.  Below 
Thebes  it  is  limited  pretty  much  to  a section  of  the  river 
abounding  in  shallow  sand  bars.  It  is  found,  also,  higher 
up  the  Nile.  At  Thebes  I saw  its  body  among  other  mum- 
mies, as  carefully  preserved  as  were  the  bodies  of  kings. 
This  horrid  creature  was  once  worshipped  as  a divinity  — 
but  not  uniformly,  for  what  some  worshipped  others  de- 
* stroyed,  and  hence  sanguinary  wars  arose  over  the  carcases 
of  these  huge  monsters  with  scaly  folds~ 

Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  gives  the  following  succinct  ac- 
count of  the  usages  of  the  Egyptians  toward  this  animal. 

“ Neither  the  hippopotamus  nor  the  crocodile  were  used  as 
food  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  ; but  the  people  of  Apollino- 
polis  ate  the  crocodile,  upon  a certain  occasion,  in  order  to 
show  their  abhorrence  of  Typho,  the  evil  genius  of  whom  it 
was  an  emblem.  They  had  also  a solemn  hunt  of  this 
anhnal  upon  a particular  day,  set  apart  for  the  purpose,  at 
which  time  they  killed  as  many  of  them  as  they  could,  and 
afterwards  threw  their  dead  bodies  before  the  temple  of 
their  God,  assigning  this  reason  for  their  practice,  that  it 
was  in  the  shape  of  a crocodile  Typho  eluded  the  pursuit 
of  Orus. 

“In  some  parts  of  Egypt  it  was  sacred,  while  in  other 
places,  they  made  war  upon  it ; and  those  who  lived  about 
Thebes  and  the  lake  Moeris,  (in  the  Arsono'ite  nome,)  held 
it  in  great  veneration. 


124 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


“ It  was  there  treated  with  the  most  marked  respect,  and 
kept  at  considerable  expense ; it  was  fed  and  tended  with 
the  most  scrupulous  care;  geese,  fish,  and  various  meats 
were  dressed  purposely  for  it;  they  ornamented  its  head 
with  ear-rings,  its  feet  with  bracelets,  and  its  neck  with 
necklaces  of  gold  and  artificial  stones ; it  was  rendered 
perfectly  tame  by  kind  treatment ; and  after  death  its  body 
was  embalmed  in  the  most  sumptuous  manner.  This  was 
particularly  the  case  in  the  Theban,  Ombite,  and  Arsono'ite 
nomes ; and  at  a place  now  called  Maabdeh,  opposite  the 
modern  town  of  Manfaloot,  are  extensive  grottos  cut  far 
into  the  limestone  mountain,  where  numerous  crocodile 
mummies  have  been  found,  perfectly  preserved,  and  evi- 
dently embalmed  with  great  care. 

“ The  people  of  Apollinopolis,  Tentyris,  Heracleopolis, 
and  other  places,  on  the  contrary,  held  the  crocodile  in  * 
abhorrence,  and  lost  no  opportunity  of  destroying  it,  and 
the  Tentyrites  were  so  expert  from  long  habit,  in  catching 
and  even  in  overcoming  this  powerful  animal  in  the  water, 
that  they  were  known  to  follow  it  into  the  Nile,  and  bring 
it  by  force  to  the  shore.  Pliny,  and  others,  mention  the 
wonderful  feats  performed  by  them,  not  only  in  their  own 
country,  but  in  the  presence  of  the  Roman  people ; and 
Strabo  says,  that  on  the  occasion  of  some  crocodiles  being 
exhibited  at  Rome,  the  Tentyrites  who  were  present,  fully 
confirmed  the  truth  of  the  report  of  their  power  over 
those  animals,  for  having  put  them  into  a spacious  tank 
of  water,  with  a shelving  tank  artificially  constructed  at 
one  side,  the  men  boldly  entered  the  water,  and  entangling 
them  in  a net,  dragged  them  to  the  bank,  and  back  again 
into  the  water,  which  was  witnessed  by  numerous  spec- 
tators.” 

All  reverence  for  the  crocodile  as  a sacred  animal  has 
now  died  out  in  Egypt.  It  is  true  of  this,  as  of  all  the  old 
divinities,  “ Finish  Crocodilo.” 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


DENDERAH KENEH A HUMAN  HEART. 

"We  had  been  thirty  days  and  more  upon  the  Nile  without 
seeing  any  antiquities ; excepting  one  pillar  and  one  obelisk 
at  Alexandria,  the  pyramids  at  a distance,  and  a few  frag- 
ments at  Minieh,  Ekhmim,  and  other  places  where  mighty 
cities  once  stood.  It  was  time  to  see  a temple ; and  while 
the  crew  sojourned  at  Keneh  to  bake  their  bread,  we  crossed 
the  river  to  its  western  bank,  and  took  donkeys  for  the  ruins 
of  Tentyris,  about  two  miles  inland,  on  the  slope  of  the 
Lybian  mountains.  Riding  over  an  immense  uncultivated 
plain,  wre  reached  a huge  mound  composed  in  part  of  the 
ruins  of  the  ancient  city,  and  in  part  of  the  debris  of  an 
Arab  village,  that  in  later  times  had  squatted  over  these. 
Ascending  this  mound  for  a short  distance  we  found  an 
isolated  gateway  ( pylon ) of  yellow  stone,  richly  sculptured, 
and  bearing  upon  its  inner  face  the  image  of  Isis  nursing 
her  infant  Horus.  This  is  as  distinct  as  if  sculptured  yes- 
terday. The  pylon,  however,  is  of  Roman  origin,  and  bears 
the  names  of  the  emperors  Domitian  and  Trajan. 

Those  who  have,  seen  the  Arc  de  Triomphe  at  Paris,  can 
form  some  idea  of  the  pylon  of  an  Egyptian  temple.  From 
this  pylon  an  avenue  ( dromos ),  two  hundred  feet  long,  leads 
to  a magnificent  portico  in  almost  perfect  preservation,  sup- 
ported by  twenty-four  columns,  of  about  thirty  feet  diame- 
ter, disposed  in  four  parallel  rows.  This,  too,  is  Roman, 
11  * 


126 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


having  been  built  under  Tiberius,  but  in  the  Egyptian  style ; 
its  date  is  determined  from  a Greek  inscription  found  at 
one  angle.  Beyond  this  portico  is  a hall  leading  to  a large 
chamber,  with  two  smaller  rooms  adjacent,  and  beyond  this 
is  another  inner  chamber  — the  adytum , surrounded  also 
with  smaller  rooms.  The  whole  naos , or  temple  proper, 
was  built  under  the  Ptolemies,  perhaps  two  hundred  years 
before  Christ.  These  dates,  now  well  ascertained,  are  of 
great  importance,  because  of  the  pretensions  of  infidels 
from  the  zodiac  here  found.  Around  the  hall  here  spoken 
of,  are  lateral  chambers  covered  with  sculpture.  The  whole 
building  measures  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  by  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  , It  commands  a fine  view  of  the  valley  of 
the  Nile,  and  was  used  as  a landmark  by  the  sailors  before 
the  river  had  so  far  receded.  The  roof  is  almost  entire, 
and  consists  of  massive  blocks  of  stone  — some  four  feet  in 
thickness  by  twenty  or  thirty  in  length  — resting  upon  the 
pillars  of  the  portico.  All  around  the  interior  of  the  temple 
is  a double  wall,  with  secret  passages,  about  three  feet  wide, 
entirely  dark,  yet  profusely  sculptured  on  both  sides  with 
divinities,  offerings,  and  emblems.  These  were  connected, 
doubtless,  with  the  mysteries  of  worship ; they  are  now  ten- 
anted by  myriads  of  bats,  that  dart  hither  and  thither,  beat- 
ing the  air  with  their  wings,  and  the  walls  with  their  heads, 
as  they  are  scared  up  by  the  torches.  Perhaps  Ezekiel’s 
figure  of  the  dark  “ chambers  of  imagery  ” was  suggested 
by  such  secret  halls. 

On  the  back  wall  of  the  temple  is  a sculptured  portrait 
of  Cleopatra,  which  does  not  answer  to  the  fame  of  her 
beauty  ; also  one  of  her  son,  the  offspring  of  her  union  with 
Julius  Caesar.  The  mark  of  the  Roman  conqueror  is 
everywhere  seen ; — yet  we  had  already  looked  upon  the 
mouldering  sepulchre  of  Rome. 

The  famous  zodiac  is  still  bright  upon  the  ceiling  of  this 
Roman  portico  — Roman,  without  doubt,  and  therefore  only 


DENDERAH. 


127 


eighteen  hundred  years  old,  instead  of  being  older  than  the 
flood,  as  infidels  alleged.  With  many  boasts  and  taunts,  the 
French  savans  of  Napoleon’s  expedition  to  Egypt  pointed 
to  this  zodiac  as  the  final  refutation  of  scriptural  chronology. 
Their  estimates  of  the  age  of  these  monuments  ranged  from 
three  thousand  to  seventeen  thousand  years  before  Christ. 
But  Champollion  deciphered  upon  the  zodiac  at  Denderah 
the  name  of  Augustus  Cassar  as  its  author,  which,  indeed, 
says  Sharpe,  might  have  been  inferred  from  the  fact  that 
this  emperor  first  introduced  into  the  zodiac  the  sign  of  the 
Scales,  which  is  found  in  the  zodiac  at  Denderah. 

Lepsius,  who  has  sufficient  leanings  toward  an  extreme 
antiquity  in  the  monuments  of  Egypt,  admits  that  the  tem- 
ple of  Denderah  is  “ almost  confined  to  the  Roman  period.”  * 

Having  satisfied  our  curiosity  with  the  exploration  of  the 
most  modern  temple  in  Egypt,  — which,  in  the  preservation 
of  the  roof,  and  of  the  order  of  the  several  parts,  is  also  the 
most  perfect,  — we  returned  to  Keneh,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river,  which,  like  nearly  all  the  modern  towns  of 
Egypt,  occupies  the  site  of  an  ancient  city  ( Ccenopolis ),  now 
utterly  perished.  This  is  the  residence  of  a provincial  gov- 
ernor, whose  large  white  mansion  stands  just  without  the 
walls,  and  is  also  a place  of  considerable  trade  with  the 
Arabian  coast.  Keneh  stands  back  some  two  miles  from  the 
present  channel  of  the  river,  and  the  approach  to  it  through 
immense  open  fields  in  a high  state  of  cultivation,  and  by  a 
pleasant  avenue  of  sycamores  and  acacias,  is  a delightful 
contrast  to  the  desolation  of  Denderah.  Just  without  the 
walls,  near  the  palace  of  the  governor,  a large  number  of 
the  elderly  men  of  the  town  were  gathered,  awaiting  the 
decision  of  the  lot  for  the  enrolment  of  their  sons  in  the 
army.  They  sat  in  groups  on  the  ground,  smoking  their 
pipes,  while  crowds  of  women,  by  their  earnest  gesticula- 
* Letters,  p.  322. 


128 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tions  and  occasional  outcries,  betokened  the  more  lively  in- 
terest of  mothers  and  sisters  in  the  same  event. 

In  its  general  features,  Keneh  is  but  a repetition  of  other 
towns  already  described.  It  is,  however,  notorious  for  its 
immorality,  and  in  one  quarter  of  the  town  we  saw  at  mid- 
day, and  in  the  open  streets,  the  brazen  impudence  of  vice 
as  pictured  by  Solomon  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs.  Many  of 
the  dancing  women,  who  were  banished  from  Cairo  by  a 
freak  of  Mohammed  Ali,  make  Keneh  the  head-quarters  of 
their  infamous  trade  during  the  season  of  travel  and  of 
commerce.  It  is  impossible  for  the  traveller  on  the  Nile 
not  to  see  occasional  exhibitions  of  a grossly  depraved  taste 
in  connection  with  the  once  religious  dance  of  the  Almehs , 
that  justify  the  satires  of  Juvenal,  and  confirm  our  worst 
impressions  of  the  licentious  orgies  of  the  old  idolatry.  The 
shrine  of  Venus  at  Denderah  has  been  transferred  to  a very 
sty  at  Keneh.  At  this  place  we  saw  reason  to  change  the 
good  opinion  we  had  formed  of  the  morality  of  our  crew. 

We  were  detained  at  Keneh  about  thirty-six  hours,  not- 
withstanding the  prevalence  of  a north  wind  that  would 
have  carried  us  to  Thebes  in  half  a day.  The  reason  of 
this  delay  was,  that  the  crew  were  out  of  bread ; and  as  no 
supply  of  bread  is  to  be  found  ready-made  even  at  the  larger 
towns,  they  must  needs  buy  the  grain,  and  then  bruise  it  into 
flour  and  bake  it,  or  make  a contract  with  some  one  to  do 
this  by  wholesale.  And  when  one  considers  the  slowness  of 
the  Arabs  in  making  a bargain,  and  in  all  sorts  of  manual 
labor,  it  is  not  surprising  that  to  get  a supply  of  coarse 
bread  for  a few  days,  should  prove  a great  affair.  The 
bread  when  baked  is  cut  into  small  pieces,  and  spread  on 
the  deck  to  dry  in  the  sun.  This  detention  for  bread-baking 
occurs  two  or  three  times  on  a voyage  up  the  river. 

Keneh  is  famous  for  the  manufacture  of  porous  water 
jars.  These  are  bound  together  in  rafts,  and  are  floated 


KENEH. 


129 


down  the  river  to  Cairo  and  Alexandria,  where  they  are  in 
great  request.  I have  already  alluded  to  the  muddiness  of 
the  Nile.  When  first  drawn  from  the  river,  the  water  is  as 
thick  as  that  of  the  Mississippi,  and  after  standing  awhile  it 
leaves  in  the  vessel  a large  deposit  of  earthy  matter.  The 
common  people  drink  it,  cook  with  it,  wash  with  it,  just  as  it 
is.  Yet  a kind  Providence  has  laid  in  store  in  the  clay  of 
some  parts  of  the  Nile  valley,  just  what  is  needed  for  puri- 
fying and  cooling  the  turbid  water  of  the  river.  This  clay 
is  porous,  and  when  mixed  with  sifted  ashes  of  halfeh  grass, 
the  water  filters  through  it,  even  after  it  has  been  baked 
into  jars  an  inch  thick.  These  jars  are  manufactured  prin- 
cipally at  Keneh,  where  the  clay  abounds,  and  are  a chief 
item  in  the  business  of  the  place.  Stand  such  a jar  in  the 
shade,  cover  it  with  some  non-conductor,  fill  it  with  water 
from  the  river,  all  muddy  and  warm,  put  under  it  a stone 
basin  to  catch  the  filtered  drops,  and  you  will  have  as  pure 
water  as  the  mountain  spring  can  furnish,  and  as  cool  as  can 
be  found  anywhere  this  side  of  Rockland  Lake.  It  is  a 
sweeter  water  than  the  Croton,  and  when  thus  purified  may 
justify  the  eulogium  of  Mohammed,  who  likened  it  to  the 
nectar  of  Paradise.  The  existence  of  such  a clay  in  the 
valley  of  a river  which  is  the  sole  dependence  of  the 
country,  is  another  illustration  of  the  great  law  of  compen- 
sation that  runs  through  all  the  works  of  the  Creator. 

Our  worthy  reis,  who  hails  from  Keneh,  has  laid  in  a 
good  stock  of  filtering  jars  for  speculation  on  his  own 
account  at  Alexandria.  Apropos  of  the  reis,  we  had  sup- 
posed that  he  had  planned  the  delay  for  bread-baking  at 
this  point,  for  the  sake  of  a day  with  his  wife,  and  especially 
as  we  had  seen  him  purchasing  a new  shawl,  and  other 
articles  for  presents.  But  now,  as  we  are  starting,  a cluster 
of  native  women  surrounding  him  in  earnest  consultation, 
leads  to  an  inquiry,  which  results  in  the  information,  that 


130 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  rets  — who  is  one  of  the  most  devout  of  the  prophet’s 
followers  — has  turned  his  wife  ou^  of  doors  because  of  her 
disrespect  toward  his  mother,  and  this  is  his  aunt  with  a 
hopeful  daughter,  whom  she  wishes  him  to  marry!  The 
rets,  however,  is  not  to  be  caught ; so  he  pulls  away  from 
them  down  the  bank,  heedless  of  the  most  eloquent  gesticu- 
lations from  the  managing  aunt,  and  of  the  hidden  charms 
of  his  cousin,  buried  as  she  is  in  a blue  cotton  sack. 

Poor  Hassan  has  been  sadly  deceived.  Whoever  en- 
gaged him  at  Alexandria  told  him,  as  an  inducement,  that 
the  boat  was  going  to  Assouan  — the  first  cataract  — where 
he  has  a wife  and  three  children,  whom  he  has  not  seen  for 
six  months.  Of  course  he  has  not  heard  from  them,  for 
neither  he  nor  any  of  his  family  can  write,  and  if  they 
could,  there  is  no  mail ; but  he  sent  word  by  a boat  that 
went  before  us,  that  he  was  coming,  and  he  has  been  buying 
new  clothes  for  himself  and  them.  He  has  just  discovered 
that  we  are  only  going  to  Thebes.  We  knew  nothing  of  his 
expectations,  or  of  what  was  said  to  him  at  starting,  but  he 
thinks  we  are  the  cause  of  his  disappointment,  and  just 
now,  when  I hailed  him  playfully,  he  replied,  that  he  did 
not  wish  to  speak  to  me  because  I would  not  let  him  go  to 
see  his  wife.  He  is  much  cast  down.  We  have  all  tried  to 
comfort  him  — have  offered  to  release  him  at  Thebes,  and 
to  pay  his  expenses  home ; but  he  says  he  does  not  wish  to 
part  from  us,  and  he  sits  on  the  forward  deck  incontinently 
smoking  his  pipe  as  his  only  solace,  and  pointing  us  touch- 
ingly toward  Assouan.  Poor  fellow ! He  has  a warm 
heart,  and  it  is  wounded  to  the  core. 

I called  him  to  me  and  showed  him  the  pictures  of  the 
cataract  and  of  Philse,  in  Bartlett’s  beautiful  and  accurate 
sketches  of  the  Nile.  He  recognized  them,  and  a beam  of 
joy  lighted  up  his  features ; but  he  turned  away  and  said 
he  felt  as  if  he  must  cry.  I asked  him  if  to  look  at  the 


A HUMAN  HEART. 


131 


pictures  every  day  would  not  do  as  well  as  to  go  home. 
He  said  the  sight  of  them  made  him  lose  his  heart,  and  he 
had  better  never  look  at  them  again.  I never  witnessed 
more  genuine  manly  sorrow.  The  domestic  attachments  of 
the  poorer  classes  in  Egypt  and  Nubia,  are  very  strong.  Only 
the  rich  and  the  great  have  their  harem.  The  body  of  the 
people  maintain  the  marriage  institution  in  singleness  of 
affection  and  in  purity.  Yet  Hassan’s  native  Nubia  is  still 
a hunting  ground  for  slaves.  I have  seen  his  countrymen 
and  countrywomen  in  the  slave  markets  at  Alexandria  and 
Cairo ; and  no  doubt  Hassan  himself,  with  his  refined  sensi- 
bility — for  he  says  he  knows  we  wish  to  see  our  families, 
and  since  he  understands  it  he  does  not  blame  us,  but  will 
serve  us  still — no  doubt  Hassan,  with  his  refined  sensibility 
and  his  great  swelling  human  heart,  would  be  rated  as  a 
prime  chattel  by  some  republicans. 

Apropos  of  pictures,  let  me  advise  every  Nile  traveller  to 
take  with  him  Bartlett’s  Nile  Boat,  published  by  the  Har- 
pers. Its  pictures  are  very  truthful,  and  help  greatly  to  fix 
the  scenes  which  they  identify.  Our  Arab  crew,  unaccus- 
tomed to  see  such  plates,  recognized  each  view  with  shouts 
of  joy,  and  supposing  me  to  be  the  artist,  were  eager  to  sit 
for  their  portraits  ! I showed  them  Hassan  at  the  tiller  of 
the  dahabeeh , in  Bartlett’s  vignette ; at  which  they  were  as 
much  pleased  as  little  children. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


TREES.  AND  BIRDS. 

Far  southward  on  the  Nile,  in  latitude  26°,  there  grows 
a tree  called  by  the  Arabs  Dom  — the  Theban  palm.  It 
is  scattered  along  the  banks,  northward,  for  a distance  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  but  south  of  Keneh  it  pre- 
dominates over  the  tall  date-palm  of  Lower  Egypt.  The 
common  palm-tree  grows  to  a great  height  — frequently 
from  sixty  to  eighty  feet,  without  putting  forth  a single 
branch  from  its  solitary  upright  trunk.  It  is  trained  to  this 
growth  by  trimming  off  the  leaves  every  year  from  the 
young  stalk,  so  that  its  strength  shoots  upward;  and  by  this 
process,  also,  the  bark  is  formed  into  a succession  of  steps 
or  notches,  by  which  the  barefooted  Arab  mounts  easily  to 
the  top.  From  the  very  top  of  the  tree,  the  long  pointed 
leaves  curl  gracefully  upon  every  side,  like  the  close  set 
frame  of  a parachute,  and  just  where  the  broad  wedge- 
shaped  base  of  the  leaf  adheres  to  the  tree,  the  fruit  hangs 
in  clusters,  all  around  the  trunk.  When  its  early  training 
is  neglected,  the  palm-tree  grows  less  gracefully ; sometimes 
it  divides  at  the  root  into  several  trunks,  which  grow  with- 
out branches  to  various  heights,  and  then  spread  out  their 
leafy  crests.  The  palm-tree  looks  most  majestic  and  most 
picturesque  when  it  stands  alone  upon  some  broad  plain  or 
gentle  bluff,  and  when  its  leaves  are  stirred  lightly  by  the 
wind.  The  eye  then  takes  it  in  at  one  view,  measures  it  by 
some  mental  standard,  or  disdaining  all  mathematical  pro- 


TREES  AND  BIRDS. 


133 


portions,  dreamily  contemplates  the  waving  lines  of  beauty, 
and  the  straight,  slender,  yet  stately  stalk,  that  stands  in 
bold  relief  against  the  stainless  azure.  This  palm-tree  is 
unknown  in  the  United  States,  except  in  rare  garden 
culture,  but  in  Egypt  it  grows  everywhere,  and  is  to  the 
people  food,  shade,  shelter,  fuel,  raiment,  timber,  divan, 
cordage,  basket,  roof,  screen.  Its  fruit  reaches  its  perfection 
on  the  confines  of  Nubia. 

But  the  dom  is  confined  to  the  Thebaid,  that  portion  of 
the  Nile  Valley  lying  between  27°  and  24°.  It  is  the  palm 
of  our  own  Florida ; a tree  of  moderate  stature,  and 
bifurcated  at  regular  intervals,  its  outmost  branches  termi- 
nating in  large  fan-shaped  leaves,  so  thickly  set  that  they 
give  it  the  appearance  of  a huge  bushy  mop,  yet  always 
gracefully  disposed.  Its  fruit  is  pear-shaped,  or  has  more 
nearly  the  shape,  size,  and  appearance,  of  a yellowish-white 
potato  of  full  growth.  It  is  dry  and  fibrous,  and  the  guide- 
book says,  u exactly  resembles  our  gingerbread  in  flavor,” 
though  I can  perceive  no  flavor  but  that  of  dry  chips.  The 
tree  is  beautiful,  especially  when  intermingled  with  the 
taller  date-palm. 

Toward  evening,  walking  on  the  bank,  I came  upon  a 
grove  of  intermingled  dom  and  date-palms,  covering  several 
acres,  with  intervals  of  small  plantations  of  cotton,  onions, 
and  castor-beans,  bordered  with  the  prickly  sont,  or  acanthus. 
The  setting  sun  glanced  horizontally  through  the  openings 
of  the  trees,  and  paved  the  avenues  with  gold,  — more 
beautiful,  because  more  natural,  than  the  well-trimmed 
lawn  at  Chatsworth,  or  the  artistic  woodland  at  Fountain’s 
Abbey. 

There  was  silence,  amid  the  beauty,  that  the  soul  might 
drink  it  in  unruffled  to  its  utmost  depth ; — silence,  — the 
deep,  solemn,  plaintive  silence,  that  the  East  only  knows. 
No  murmuring  brook,  no  sighing  breeze,  no  rustling  leaf, 
12 


134 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


no  evening  chime,  no  lowing  herd,  no  tinkling  bell,  no  hum 
of  labor,  no  buzz  of  insects,  no  twitter  of  birds,  no  sound 
of  welcome,  no  merry  laugh,  no  call  of  cattle,  not  even  now 
the  distant  bark  of  village  dogs,  — that  sound  of  life,  which, 
in  the  East,  is  ever  first  at  morning,  and  last  at  night. 
u One  dead,  uniform  silence,”  — no,  not  “ dead,”  for  while 
it  hovered  over  the  grave  of  generations  whose  mysterious 
temples,  given  to  the  bats,  yet  proclaim  a greatness  that  the 
present  boasts  not  of,  — it  hovered  not  on  raven  wing,  but 
fringed  with  golden  light;  still,  solemn,  sad,  it  yet  was 
gorgeous,  not  funereal,  and  breathed  of  sunny  life  where 
the  year  knows  no  winter,  and  the  sky  no  cloud ; silence , 
when,  after  the  glare  of  a windless  day,  the  palm-leaf  droops 
motionless,  and  nature  breathes  not  till  her  fiery  conqueror 
has  entered  his  pavilion : silence  deep,  but  not  dead ; no, 
nor  yet  “ uniform,”  for,  at  intervals,  came  the  harsh,  monot- 
onous creak  of  the  salcia,  as  the  lazy  oxen  turned  the  wheel 
that  watered  the  plain,  or  a frightened  bird  whirred  from  its 
nest  under  the  fan-leaves  of  the  dom.  Yet  these  sounds 
disturbed  not  the  silence,  for  sound  itself  grows  plaintive  in 
the  East,  and  sinks  wearily  and  monotonously  into  silence. 
In  such  silence,  the  soul,  shut  out  from  all  the  world  of  sight 
and  sense  and  sound,  sank  into  a deep,  rich  calm,  and  under 
the'  shadow  of  the  dom  gathered  the  golden  threads  of 
lingering  sunlight,  and  wove  them  into  her  own  gorgeous 
dreams,  that  melted  from  gold  to  orange,  from  orange  to 
saffron,  from  saffron  to  purple,  and  floated  away  toward  the 
land  of  the  West. 

Suddenly  I came  out  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  where 
the  palm-trees  had  been  cleared  away  for  garden  cultivation. 
Full  thirty  feet  below  lay  the  stream,  which  once  deposited 
this  mass  of  soil,  and  which  at  times  rolls  over  it.  Quietly 
it  lay,  save  where  a quivering  on  the  surface  marked  the 
swift  current.  Here  half  a mile  in  width,  and  for  a reach 


TREES  AND  BIRDS. 


135 


of  twenty  miles,  it  spread  before  me  like  a lake,  fringed  on 
its  under  surface  with  mirrored  doms  and  waving  palms, 
while  the  now  motionless  dahabeeh  pictured  its  own  inverted 
masts  and  spars  and  drooping  pennon,  all  “ like  a painted 
ship  upon  a painted  ocean.”  By  a sweep  of  the  river  the 
mountains  of  Arabia  were  brought  upon  three  sides  of  this 
phantom  lake,  while  the  Lybian  chain  loomed  darkly  behind 
me.  I looked  towards  these,  as  the  sun  sank  behind  their 
huge  square  mass,  here  some  six  hundred  feet  high,  and  all 
whitened  with  the  sand  of  the  desert,  and  saw  the  black 
shadows  creep  up  from  below,  while  their  top  was  yet 
tipped  with  crimson  and  with  gold,  and  when  this,  too,  was 
clothed  with  purple  deepening  into  brown  and  gray ; then 
turning  toward  the  Arabian  chain,  some  two  miles  distant, 
I beheld  that  still  robed  in  mellow  light  reflected  from  the 
zenith,  and  presently  as  this  faded,  both  mountain  and  river, 
and  the  mirrored  mountains  in  the  river,  were  suffused  with 
that  dreamy,  gauze-like,  saffron  tint,  which  is  the  charm  and 
glory  of  the  Orient.  It  is  not  mist,  it  is  not  haze,  but  like 
that  “ dim  suffusion  ” following  an  excess  of  brightness  that 
dazzled  the  eyes  of  Milton,  and  sealed  them  into  night. 
Yet  here  the  moon  already  rode  resplendent,  bringing  on 
the  silvery  noon  of  night,  lustrous  without  heat,  silent  with- 
out gloom.  The  salcias  creaked  their  last  round,  and  the 
plaintive  cry  of  the  half-naked  fellahs  that  ply  the  shadoof 
died  into  cadence  along  the  shore,  as  I climbed  down  the 
bank  to  the  heat-smitten  “ Lotus.” 

A most  beautiful  feature  in  the  Nile  voyage  is  the  sight 
of  birds,  as  tame  as  if  domesticated,  perching  on  your  boat, 
on  the  housetops,  on  the  palms,  on  the  backs  of  oxen  and 
of  camels,  chirping,  warbling,  skipping  everywhere  as  free 
and  joyous  as  if  they  never  knew  an  enemy.  Nor  have 
they  an  enemy  in  the  native  population,  for  the  Egyptians 
do  not  molest  birds  — only  travellers  affright  them  with  the 


136  EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

sportsman’s  gun.  This  may  be  because  the  Egyptians  are 
an  unarmed  people ; but  to  whomsoever  the  credit  belongs, 
let  Egyptians  have  the  praise  of  the  land  where  birds  are 
safe  and  free.  Most  sweetly  do  they  carol  at  sunrise  and  at 
sunset  in  the  acacia  groves  and  among  the  palms.  Some, 
of  unknown  names,  are  of  beautiful  plumage  and  delicate 
form ; but  the  bird  for  which  the  traveller  looks  from  the 
moment  he  enters  Egypt,  is  the  pure  and  sacred  Ibis.  We 
had  several  times  seen  at  a distance  a bird  that  we  con- 
jectured must  be  this,  and  at  length  we  gained  a nearer 
view  of  one,  that,  by  comparison  with  the  sculptured  form, 
quite  satisfied  us  of  its  identity.  It  was  a most  delicate 
creature,  about  a foot  in  length  from  the  beak  to  the  tip  of 
the  tail,  with  long,  slender  legs,  and  a neck  that  curved 
gracefully  and  terminated  in  a long,  crooked  beak.  It  was 
of  stainless  white,  and  when  it  flew  seemed  rather  to  swim 
with  gentlest  motion  on  a buoyant  sea.  The  selection  of 
such  a bird  as  sacred,  and  the  association  of  it  with  their 
religious  sculptures,  shows  a nice  sense  of  beauty  in  the  old 
Egyptians.  There  swims  not  in  the  air'  a bird  of  such 
delicacy  of  form  and  purity  of  color. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


NEGADEH SALUTATIONS A COPTIC  CHURCH.  . 

We  halted  awhile  at  Negadeh,  one  of  the  chief  towns  of 
the  Copts,  in  the  hope  of  becoming  better  acquainted  with 
these  representatives  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  Church. 
This  was  the  native  place  of  one  of  our  crew,  whom  we 
took  with  us  as  a guide.  He  had  been  absent  many 
months  from  home,  and  it  was  curious  to  observe  the 
greetings  he  received  from  his  townsmen  as  we  passed 
along  the  streets.  The  salutations  of  the  Egyptians  are 
insufferably  tedious.  When  two  persons  meet,  they  touch 
the  palms  of  their  hands  together,  then  each  touches  his 
right  hand  alternately  to  his  forehead,  his  lips,  and  his 
heart,  uttering  some  complimentary  wish,  and  then  repeats 
the  process  until  the  whole  vocabulary  of  compliments  is 
exhausted.  Their  phrases  are  such  as  these,  which  are 
doled  out  in  wearisome  succession.  “ Peace  be  with  you  ; ” 
“ I give  you  peace  ; ” “ May  God  bless  you  ; ” “ God  bless 
you  evermore ; ” “ May  God  give  you  peace  ; ” “ Blessing 
has  come  to  dwell  with  me ; ” “ May  God  not  desert  you.” 

The  mere  interchange  of  salutations  occupies  several 
minutes,  and  after  these  are  ended  there  seems  to  be 
nothing  more  to  say.  A few  whiffs  of  the  pipe  are 
exchanged,  and  the  parties  separate  without  ceremony. 
The  frequent  stops  made  by  our  attendant  to  greet  his 
friends,  and  the  time  consumed  in  these  salutations,  illus- 
trated the  caution  given  by  Elisha  to  Gehazi  when  he  sent 
12  * 


138 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


him  in  haste  to  restore  to  life  the  Shunamite’s  son.  “If 
thou  meet  any  man  salute  him  not ; and  if  any  salute  thee, 
answer  him  not  &gain ; ” . — do  not  stop  on  the  road  to 
exchange  salutations ; but  go  with  all  speed  to  the  house  of 
mourning. 

In  our  progress  through  the  village  we  made  frequent 
inquiries  for  Copts,  and  the  Coptic  convent  and  church. 
T^he  convent  we  ascertained  to  be  at  some  distance  back 
among  the  mountains ; but  the  church  was  within  the  town, 
and  near  at  hand.  As  soon  as  our  object  was  known,  a 
number  of  very  respectable  men,  wearing  the  dark  Coptic 
turban,  gathered  about  us  and  conducted  us  in  a body  to 
their  liOuse  of  worship.  This  is  a large,  square,  brick  build- 
ing, with  a low  doorway,  and  a row  of  brick  pillars  in  the 
centre.  Between  the  middle  pillars  is  a screen,  and  behind 
this  a rude  wooden  pulpit,  and  a reading  desk,  with  a small 
vestry  in  the  rear  where  the  priest  robes  himself,  which  is 
also  covered  with  a screen.  There  are  no  seats  in  the 
house,  but  mats  are  spread  upon  the  floor,  on  which  the 
worshippers  sit  in  oriental  fashion.  Chairs  were  brought  for 
us,  however,  and  the  whole  company  sat  or  stood  around  us 
in  a circle  on  the  floor.  Directly  before'  us  was  one  who 
seemed  to  be  the  principal  man  of  the  party,  and  who  took 
the  lead  in  the  conversation ; but  several  of  them  had  most 
intelligent  countenances,  and  heads  as  finely  developed  as 
any  portrayed  in  the  phrenological  charts.  We  told  them 
who  we  were  and  where  we  came  from  ; but  they  did  not 
seem  to  have  any  definite  ideas  of  America  until  a rude 
map  was  drawn  upon  the  ground.  We  informed  them  of 
the  number  and  the  character  of  our  churches,  of  their  mis- 
sionary operations,  and  especially  of  their  sympathy  for 
such  as  maintained  pure  religion  in  lands  of  darkness,  and 
had  suffered  for  Christ’s  sake  and  the  Gospel’s. 

I inquired  for  a Bible,  and  they  produced  a written  copy 


0 


A COPTIC  CHURCH. 


139 


of  the  Psalms,  and  a Bible  printed  at  Malta  with  the  Coptic 
and  the  Arabic  in  parallel  columns.  In  exchange  I showed 
them  a Bible  with  oriental  illustrations  and  maps,  with 
which  they  were  highly  pleased.  They  also  produced  a 
copy  of  their  liturgy  in  Coptic  and  Arabic.  Seeing  some 
rude  pictures  on  the  walls,  executed  in  a style  like  the 
coarsest  colored  lithographs,  I inquired  whom  these  were 
designed  to  represent.  They  answered,  the  angels  Gabriel 
and  Michael,  and  the  Virgin  Mary ; but  they  assured  us 
they  did  not  pray  to  them,  nor  in  any  sense  worship  them, 
but  prayed  to  God  through  Christ  alone.  In  answer  to  an 
inquiry  whether  they  prayed  for  the  dead,  they  showed  the 
form  of  prayer  used  in  the  burial-service,  but  said  that  they 
did  not  pray  for  the  dead  nor  to  the  saints.  There  was  no 
altar  with  candles,  nor  any  other  marks  of  superstition,  such 
as  are  seen  in  Roman  Catholic  churches — only  these  few 
pictures.  They  pray  in  their  families,  and  have  schools  for 
their  children.  -They  are  careful  in  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath ; and  though  they  have  another  larger  house  of  wor- 
ship — which  they  afterwards  showed  us  — they  have  not 
room  enough  for  their  congregation,  there  being  some  twen- 
ty-five hundred  Copts  in  the  town.  The  women  sit  in  the 
churches  in  a screened  gallery,  apart  by  themselves. 

The  Copts  do  not  allow  of  bigamy,  and  they  assured  us 
that  they  are  not  loose  in  the  matter  of  divorce,  of  which 
they  have  been  accused  by  emissaries  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  and  by  their  Puseyite  coadjutors  in  the  Church 
of  England.  They  had  already  received  donations  of  Bibles 
and  Testaments  from  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
but  said  they  would  be  thankful  to  receive  from  us  any 
Bibles  and  tracts  that  we  might  send  them  after  our  return, 
with  a view  to  which  we  exchanged  addresses,  which  a 
scribe,  wearing  his  inkhorn  at  his  side,  wrote  very  neatly 
upon  such  scraps  of  paper  as  were  at  hand.  They  did  not 


140 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


complain  of  any  oppression  from  the  government  in  matters 
of  religion,  but  thought  they  were  compelled  to  furnish 
more  than  their  quota  for  the  army ; and  with  the  vague 
notion  of  European  influence  which  all  Egyptians  seem  to 
have,  they  requested  us  to  interfere  for  them  through  the 
consul  at  Cairo. 

We  spoke  to  them  of  the  love  of  Christ  dwelling  in  the 
heart,  of  our  love  for  them,  and  our  desire  to  know  them 
and  to  do  them  good.  They  said  they  would  be  happy  to 
have  missionaries  from  America  visit  them  and  dwell  among 
them.  Coffee  was  then  served  after  the  manner  of  the 
East,  hot,  strong,  without  sugar  or  milk,  in  tiny  cups  of 
china  poised  in  egg-shaped  brass  holders;  and  leaving  a 
donation  to  the  church,  we  rose  to  depart.  But  we  were 
not  suffered  to  go  alone.  Our  whole  audience  of  fifty  per- 
sons, with  accessions  on  the  way,  accompanied  us  to  the 
river,  and  while  for  nearly  an  hour  we  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  boat,  they  lingered  around,  learning  to  pronounce  our 
names,  and  in  every  possible  way  expressing  their  gratifica- 
tion at  our  visit.  The  whole  interview  had  been  one  of  the 
utmost  cordiality  on  their  part,  and  they  were  evidently 
reluctant  to  have  it  closed.  We  were  upon  the  whole  quite 
favorably  impressed  with  their  appearance.  I do  not  doubt 
that  there  are  sincere  Christians  among  them.  As  a body, 
however,  they  have  fallen  into  a formal  Christianity,  and 
they  need  more  discriminating  and  practical  views  of  the 
Gospel.  They  are  simple-hearted,  and  ready  to  listen  to 
the  truth.  Indeed,  I should  infer  that  vital  religion  has 
been  somewhat  revived  among  them  by  the  distribution  of 
the  Bible,  and  also  by  the  assaults  of  a proselyting  Romish 
priest,  who  has  been  quite  zealous,  and  somewhat  successful 
in  gaining  converts  from  the  Copts. 

The  influences  used  by  this  priest  are  thus  described  by 
a recent  proselyte  to  the  Church  of  Rome,  Mr.  James  Laird 


NEGADEH. 


141 


Patterson,  in  his  “ Journal  of  a Tour  in  Egypt ; ” a copy  of 
which  I chance  to  have  at  hand.  Speaking  of  the  prose- 
lyting labors  of  Padre  Samuele  at  Negadeh,  he  says,  “ Last 
year  Padre  Samuele  made  a journey  to  Cairo,  where  he 
had  to  remain  six  months,  to  combat  an  attempt  made  by 
the  Copts  to  get  a woman  divorced  from  her  husband,  who 
was  a convert  of  hisv  He  gained  his  cause  by  putting  the 
people  under  the  consular  protection  of  France.  Of  course 
it  was  a most  important  one.  He  told  us  that  the  church 
has  now  three  millions  of  souls  in  Abyssinia,  among  whom 
four  bishops  (one  of  whom  is  the  learned  and  pious  Father 
De  Jacobis  as  Vicar- Apostolic)  and  twelve  Lazarist  mis- 
sionaries are  laboring.  They  have  ordained  many  native 
priests  — a practice  which  seems  to  me  not  the  least  admi- 
rable of  the  Roman  Catholic  missionary  system.  He  had 
had  a Protestant  missionary,  with  money,  and  tracts  printed 
at  the  college  at  Malta,  there  (at  Negadeh)  ; and  as  his 
flock  brought  him  the  heretical  books,  he  made  a neat  bonfire 
of  them , ivliile  the  missionary  looked  on  from  his  boat  ( proba- 
bly with  his  wife  and  family)  in  no  small  amazement .” 

There  are  some  remarkable  points  in  this  statement.  It 
is  from  the  pen  of  an  educated  Englishman,  Master  of  Arts 
from  the  University  of  Oxford,  who,  when  he  left  England, 
was  still  in  the  communion  of  the  Church  of  England, 
though  of  the  “ High  Church,”  or  Puseyite  school ; but  who 
has  since  become  “ reconciled,”  as  the  phrase  is,  to  “ the 
Church,”  i.  e.  the  Roman  Catholic  communion.  The  sym- 
pathetic and  exultant  tone  in  which  he  describes  the  doings, 
of  this  priest,  even  to  the  burning  of  the  tracts  and  Bibles  — 
for  many  of  these  so-called  “ heretical  books  ” were  copies 
of  the  New  Testament,  like  those  shown  us  at-  the  Coptic 
church  — is  painfully  significant  of  the  state  of  things  at 
Oxford,  and  in  the  High  Church  party  in  England. 

What  will  Archbishop  Hughes  — who  so  resolutely  de- 


142 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


nied  a similar  outrage,  some  years  ago,  on  the  borders  of 
New  York  — say  to  this  case  of  Bible-burning?  He  will 
begin  with  denying  the  fact.  But  the  fact  comes  from  the 
priest  himself,  through  a young  disciple  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  who  speaks  of  it  not  to  condemn,  but  to  approve  and 
admire.  He  will  say,  then,  that  this  priest  was  isolated,  and 
acted  without  authority.  But  the  Catholic  Standard,  an 
English  Catholic  journal  of  tlie  first  order,  in  the  interest  of 
Cardinal  Wiseman,  says  of  this  very  case : “ It  is  a queer 
thing  that  the  agents  of  the  Bible  Society  should  play  off 
their  pranks  in  such  an  obscure  and  distant  place  as  Nega- 
deh.  The  honest  priest  was  a trump,  and  no  mistake ; he 
would  stand  no  nonsense  with  them.  Small  blame  to  him, 
we  say,  and  more  'power  to  his  elbow  the  next  importation  he 
receives  .”  The  elegance  of  this  language  is  noteworthy ; 
and  also  the  fact  that  a Roman  Catholic  religious  journal 
draws  its  illustrations  from  card-playing,  as  if  this  were  per- 
fectly familiar  to  its  readers,  and  appropriate  to  priests. 
But  the  spirit  of  this  paragraph  is  what  deserves  attention, 
for  it  is  the  too  common  spirit  of  the  Roman  Catholic  hierar- 
chy ; and  with  respect  to  the  burning  of  Bibles,  not  to  say 
of  Bible  readers  also,  the  difference  between  many  a Roman 
Catholic  priest  in  England  and  the  United  States,  and  the 
Padre  Samuele  at  Negadeh,  is  simply  that  the  one  is  in 
England  or  the  United  States,  and  the  other  at  “ such  an 
obscure  and  distant  place  as  Negadeh.” 

Is  it  not  time  that  the  Christian  missionary,  with  the  Bible 
in  his  hand,  was  permanently  located  in  this  field  ? If  the 
Romish  priest  may  work  here  thus  openly,  why  may  not  the 
Protestant  missionary  ? May  we  not  say  with  Paul  at 
Ephesus,  UA  great  door  and  effectual  is  opened  to  us,  and 
there  are  many  adversaries  ? ” 


JBrriifftHai’i; 


CHAPTER  XX. 


MOTHER  EGYPT THEBES TEMPLES  AND  MONUMENTS 

THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY. 

After  twenty-eight  days  of  sailing  and  tracking,  — a 
voyage  unusually  protracted  by  contrary  winds  and  by  the 
low  stage  of  the  river,  — we  made  our  mooring  on  the  east- 
ern bank  of  Thebes.  On  a Sabbath  morning,  — calm, 
bright,  and  beautiful,  — we  awoke  under  the  shadow  of 
Karnac.  But  though  we  had  at  last  reached  the  object  of 
many  longings,  and  the  turning-point  in  a journey  of  more 
than  six  thousand  miles  from  home,  the  instinct  of  curiosity 
was  absorbed  in  the  emotion  of  gratitude,  and  the  Sabbath 
was  welcomed  as  a day  of  rest  and  of  praise.  For  weeks 
we  had  talked  and  read  only  of  Thebes;  but  now  that 
Thebes  was  gained,  New  York  usurped  its  place  in  thought, 
upon  its  own  soil.  Such  is  the  power  of  religious  associa- 
tion, and  of  the  sacred  memories  of  home.  The  Sabbath 
ended,  a week  was  given  to  the  exploration  of  the  scenes 
and  monuments  around  us. 

The  site  of  Thebes  was  chosen  with  admirable  wisdom. 
The  parallel  ridges  of  naked  limestone  hills  — the  barriers 
of  the  Lybian  and  Arabian  deserts  that  for  five  hundred 
miles  skirt  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  at  a distance  of  from  three 
to  five  miles  apart,  — here  expand  into  a huge  basin  of  more 
than  fifty  miles  in  circumference,  and  break  into  peaks  of 
from  a thousand  to  thirteen  hundred  feet  high,  or  file  off  in 
serried  ranks  on  either  side.  These  mountains  guard  the 


144 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


plain  from  the  encroachments  of.  the  desert  and  from  the 
invasion  of  enemies.  The  plain  itself  is  watered  by  the 
Nile,  which  Homer- styles  the  “heaven-sprung  river,”  which 
in  its  yearly  overflow  heaps  upon  it  the  alluvial  deposits  of 
the  mountains  of  Ethiopia,  and  which  opens  to  it  the  com- 
merce of  Ethiopia  and  of  the  Mediterranean.  A short 
caravan  march  brings  to  it  the  commerce  of  the  Red  Sea, 
from  Arabia,  Persia,  and  the  Indies. 

The  only  present  occupants  of  this  plain  are  a few  miser- 
able Arab  villagers,  whose  hovels  are  built  of  and  amid  the 
ruins  of  the  old  city.  These  ruins  are  found  on  a stupen- 
dous scale,  at  five  or  six  prominent  points,  so  related  to  each 
other  that  from  these  we  can  reconstruct  the  Thebes  of  four 
thousand  years  ago.  Though  the  ruins  are  chiefly  those  of 
public  buildings  — palaces  and  temples  — yet  the  interior 
magnificence  of  some  of  the  tombs  of  private  individuals, 
and  the  pictures  of  private  houses  found  upon  their  walls, 
show  that  not  all  the  wealth  of  ancient  Thebes  was  in  its 
royal  coffers. 

Turning  to  the  map,  the  reader  will  there  find  indicated 
the  names  and  localities  of  the  several  ruins.  Upon  the 
western  bank  are  the  temples  of  Medeenet  Habou,  the 
Memnonium,  and  Gournou,  with  others  *of  less  note,  — the 
colossal  statues,  and  the  principal  tombs ; on  the  eastern 
bank  are  the  temples  of  Luxor  and  Karnac.  The  distance 
from  Luxor  to  Karnac  is  about  a mile  and  a half ; that 
from  Luxor  to  Medeenet  Habou  is  about  two  and  a half 
miles.  The  river  is  represented  at  a moderate  stage. 
Luring  the  inundation  the  land  is  overflowed  as  far  back  as 
the  colossal  statues. 

Medeenet  Habou  was  a palace-temple  of  grand  propor- 
tions, surrounded  with  huge  sphinxes,  lions,  and  colossal 
men.  In  th§  front  of  the  main  edifice  is  an  oblong  court, 
flanked  on  either  hand  by  pyramidal  towers,  where  was  the 


jJWfc 


THE  GREAT,  AT  THE  MEMNONIUM. 


TEMPLES  AND  MONUMENTS. 


145 


pavilion  of  the  king.  Although  the  walls  of  this  structure 
are  much  defaced,  its  sculptures  still  exhibit  some  curious 
scenes  of  palace  life.  The  king  is  seated  on  a rich  divan 
receiving  the  homage  and  caresses  of  his  wives,  who  offer 
him  flowers,  amuse  him  with  chess,  or  cool  him  with  their 
fans.  The  grand  area  of  the  temple  was  adorned  with 
massive  gates,  and  separated  into  courts,  whose  elegant 
corridors  were  decorated  with  brilliant  colors,  and  its  walls 
covered  with  historical  and  descriptive  sculptures.  The 
pillars  of  the  central  court  are  still  standing,  and  are  in  a 
style  of  massive  beauty.  Enough  remains  of  the  temple  to 
show  its  plan,  and  the  scale  of  grandeur  on  which  it  was 
built.  Two  or  three  smaller  temples,  connected  with  this 
by  avenues  of  symbolical  statues,  were  originally  disposed 
around  the  main  building  as  adjuncts. 

Northward,  some  three  thousand  feet,  stood  the  Memno- 
nium,  a temple  measuring  four  hundred  feet  by  one  hundred 
and  fifty  ; it£  central  hall  having  a solid  roof  supported  by 
forty-eight  massive  columns,  and  “ studded  with  stars  on  an 
azure  ground.”  Most  of  these  pillars  and  part  of  the  roof 
still  remain.  The  astronomical  subjects  upon  the  ceiling 
of  a small  inner  chamber  of  the  temple,  have  furnished  a 
clue  to  the  determination  of  some  of  the  great  cycles  of 
Egyptian  history. 

The  Memnonium  was  built  by  the  great  Raineses,  and  its 
walls  are  illustrated  with  his  victories,  chiefly  in  Asia. 
Some  of  these  sculptures  are  quite  spirited.  In  front  of  the 
building,  and  flanked  by  colossal  figures,  the  monarch  placed 
the  most  stupendous  statue  ever  reared  in  the  world.*  This 
was  the  personification  of  Egytian  power  in  the  colossal 
image  of  the  king,  “ seated  on  a throne  in  the  usual  attitude 
of  Egyptian  figures,  the  hands  resting  on  his  knees,  indica- 

* See  plate. 

13 


146 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tive  of  that  tranquillity  which  he  had  returned  to  enjoy  in 
Egypt  after  the  fatigues  of  victory.”  The  statue  was  of  one 
solid  piece  of  sienite,  and  must  have  been  transported  from 
the  quarry  more  than  a hundred  miles.  Its  weight  has 
been  computed  at  upwards  of  eight  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  tons  ; it  is  said  to  have  been  originally  seventy-five 
feet  high  by  twenty-three  in  breadth.  By  my  own  measure- 
ment of  its  fragments,  as  it  now  lies  broken  on  the  ground, 
I found  the  forehead  fourteen  feet  from  ear  to  ear ; the 
head  twenty-five  feet,  six  inches  across  from  point  to  point, 
where  the  back  lies  upon  the  ground  — the  whole  circum- 
ference not  being  accessible  ; — the  body  fifty-one  feet, 
measured  across  the  shoulders  from  their  insertion  in  the 
back,  the  shoulder  itself  sixteen  feet  six  inches,  the  arm 
eleven  feet  six  inches  from  shoulder  to  elbow,  and  the  foot 
five  feet  ten  inches  long  by  four  feet  eight  inches  broad. 
This  statue  was  overthrown  by  Cambyses,  the  Persian 
conqueror  of  Egypt,  in  the  year  525,  b.  c. 

Years  before  this  event,  a Hebrew  prophet  had  uttered 
the  following  remarkable  words  : “ The  daughter  of  Egypt 
shall  be  confounded  ; she  shall  be  delivered  into  the  hand 
of  the  people  of  the  North ; and  they  shall  spoil  the  pomp 
of  Egypt.  I will  also  destroy  the  idols,  and  the  pomp 
of  her  strength  shall  cease  in  her.  He  [the  king  of  Baby- 
lon] shall  break  also  the  images  [statues  or  standing  images] 
of  Bethshemesh,  [the  house  of  the  sun,]  that  is  in  the  land 
of  Egypt.”  * 

The  overthrow  of  such  an  image,  standing  at  the  main 
gate  of  one  of  the  principal  temples  of  Thebes,  may  well 
have  been  symbolical  of  the  destruction  of  Egypt.  Indeed, 
I know  not  whether  was  the  greater  marvel,  to  set  up  this 
gigantic  statue,  or  to  throw  it  down,  so  as  to  break  the 


Jeremiah  xlvi ; 24,  and  xliii.  13. 


LUXOR,  FROM  THE  WATER. 


TEMPLES  AND  MONUMENTS. 


147 


solid  granite  into  the  huge  blocks  now  strewn  upon  the 
ground. 

Back  under  the  brow  of  the  mountain  stood  another  tem- 
ple with  massive  sculptures,  and  half  a mile  further  to  the 
north  and  nearer  the  river,  stood  side  by  side  three  temples 
of  various  styles,  all  grand  and  rich,  and  grouped  together 
likewise  by  rows  of  statues. 

In  front  of  Medeenet  Ilabou  and  the  Memnonium  was  a 
sacred  way  about  sixty  feet  wide,  and  a mile  and  a half  in 
length,  lined  on  either  side  with  colossal  figures  of  stone 
about  thirty  feet  apart,  and  ranging  from  thirty  to  sixty 
feet  in  height.  Among  these  were  the  vocal  Memnon  and 
its  mate  that  still  hold  their  original  position  on  the  plain. 
Their  fellows  lie  broken  and  buried  in  the  mud. 

Upon  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  — which  was  crossed 
by  a ferry,  or  possibly  by  a bridge  stretching  from  island  to 
island  — is  the  temple  of  Luxor,  measuring  eight  hundred 
feet  by  two  hundred,  with  a grand  colonnade  of  two  hundred 
feet,  and  a covered  portico  of  equal  length  facing  the  river. 
On  its  northern  side  is  a sculptured  gateway  with  pyrami- 
dal towers  two  hundred  feet  long  by  seventy  in  height,  — and 
in  front  of  this,  gigantic  granite  statues,  and  an  obelisk  of 
red  granite  sixty  feet  in  height.*  The  mate  of  this  obelisk 
now  stands  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  at  Paris ; where  it 
already  shows  the  effects. of  exposure  to  weather  such  as  is 
never  experienced  at  Thebes.  From  this  pylon  extended 
for  a mile  and  a half  an  avenue  or  Sacred  way  planted  on  each 
' side  at  distances  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet,  with  huge 
sphinxes  having  heads  of  lions,  birds,  rams,  oxen,  and  men. 
This  was  as  if  Broadway  from  the  Battery  to  Canal  street 
were  lined  on  both  sides  with  such  creations.  The  remains 
of  these  figures  may  be  traced  along  nearly  the  whole  line 
of  the  ancient  dromos. 


See  plate. 


148 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


At  the  northern  extremity  of  this  avenue,  after  passing  a 
series  of  lofty  and  massive  gates,  you  arrive  at  the  temple 
of  Karnac.  To  form  some  conception  of  this  structure,  we 
will  take  as  a basis  the  Croton  Reservoir  in  New  York. 
Drain  this,  and  suppose  its  walls  to  stand  four  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  by  three  hundred  and  sixty,  and  nearly  one 
hundred  feet  high  by  forty  in  thickness,  all  of  solid  stone,  in 
blocks  of  huge  dimensions.  In  one  side  of  this  structure 
make  a central  doorway,  seventy  feet  in  height  by  thirty- 
five  inches  in  width ; plant  in  front  of  this  a lohg  double 
row  of  sphinxes  and  statues,  each  a single  block  of  stone 
weighing  several  hundred  tons ; within  the  vacant  reservoir 
all  around  the  walls,  build  a corridor  supported  by  thirty 
massive  columns  on  each  side,  and  down  the  centre  a double 
row  of  columns  of  red  granite,  each  a single  shaft  fifty  feet 
high,  and  terminating  in  an  expanded  leaf,  and  you  have 
the  outer  court  of  Karnac. 

In  the  wall  opposite  the  entrance,  make  another  gateway, 
higher,  broader,  deeper,  its  lintels  forty-one  feet  long,  and 
before  this  plant  statues  thirty  feet  high.  Upon  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  wall  build  another  court  or  portico  of  the 
same  exterior  breadth  as  the  first,  and  three  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  by  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  in  the  clear  ; 
and  to  sustain  its  roof  of  stone  erect  one  hundred  and 
thirty -four  columns,  varying  from  forty-two  to  sixty-six  feet 
in  height,  and  from  twenty-seven  to  thirty-six  in  circumfer- 
ence ; this  forms  the  grand  hall  of  Karnac ; * beyond  this 
build  an  avenue  of  obelisks  each  seventy  feet  high,  and  other 
massive  gates  and  colossal  figures,  together  with  a sanctuary 
of  red  granite  forty  feet  square  — the  whole  of  this  part 
occupying  an  area  of  six  hundred  feet  by  four  hundred: 
at  the  further  end  of  this  erect  another  building,  four  hun- 


* See  frontispiece. 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY. 


149 


dred  feet  wide,  supported  by  fifty-two  huge  columns,  and 
back  of  this  another  massive  wall  and  corresponding  gate- 
way ; and  on  this  area  of  eleven  hundred  and  eighty  feet  by 
four  hundred  and  twenty,  you  have  the  main  temple  of 
Karnac.  Then  upon  either  side  of  this,  and  in  the  rear, 
build  long  avenues  of  spdiinxes  and  colossi,  to  the  south-west 
especially,  an  avenue  a quarter  of  a mile  long,  connecting 
with  the  main  building,  through  a series  of  four  massive 
gateways,  another  temple  fully  one  half  its  size ; and  all 
around  dispose  smaller  temples  and  gateways,  till  a circuit 
of  a mile  and  a half  is  filled  with  the  surroundings  of  the 
stupendous  pile ; — then  mount  the  front  gateway  of  the  origi- 
nal reservoir,  and  look  at  Karnac.  Two  thousand  feet  back 
of  you  is  its  outermost  gate ; twelve  hundred  feet  back  of 
you  the  rear  wall  of  the  main  edifice,  upon  whose  superfi- 
cial area  you  could  arrange  just  fifty  Broadway  Tabernacles 
side  by  side ; while  to  the  right  and  left  are  other  temples 
that  would  look  grandly  if  they  stood  alone,  but  which  are 
mere  appendages  of  this. 

As  I gazed  upon  these  ruins  of  forty  centuries,  and 
imagined  the  Thebes  that  then  was,  New  York  dwindled 
into  an  infant  in  the  lap  of  a giant.  Yes,  proud  upstart  of 
this  nineteenth  century,  the  so-called  Empire  city,  commer- 
cial emporium  of  the  West,  great  metropolis  of  the  new 
world,  if  thy  rivers  should  sweep  over  thee  and  bury  thee 
awhile,  not  all  the  stone  of  the  Croton  Reservoir,  and  the 
City  Hall,  and  the  Astor  House,-  and  of  a hundred  churches 
forsooth,  would  make  one  pile  like  Karnac ; nor  could  any 
of  these  furnish  a single  stone  for  the  lintels  of  its  gates. 
Yet  Karnac  that  began  to  be  in  that  other  nineteenth  century, 
before  Christ,  is  not  yet  a ruin.  Its  gateways  stand ; its 
grand  hall  stands,  its  columns  nearly  all  unbroken,  and  not 
one  spire  of  grass,  or  tuft  of  moss,  or  leaf  of  ivy  hides  its 
speaking  sculptures.  Only  the  sand  has  covered  them,  and 
13  * 


150 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


when  this  is  removed  they  are  as  fresh  as  yesterday.  These 
eyes  have  looked  on  them,  and  by  them  have  measured 
thee,  O nineteenth  century  ! 

Such  is  the  skeleton  of  Thebes,  as  we  can  reconstruct  it 
of  such  materials  and  from  such  localities  as  yet  mark  its 
site.  But  what  was  Thebes  when,  resting  upon  the  Lybian 
mountains  on  the  west  and  the  Arabian  on  the  east,  with  the 
Nile  flowing  through  its  centre,  it  filled  a circuit  of  twenty- 
five  miles  in  a plain  of  twice  that  area,  teeming  with  fer- 
tility? What  was  Thebes  when  she  could  pour  forth 
twenty  thousand  chariots  of  war,  and  when  the  grand  tri- 
umphal procession  of  priests,  and  officers  of  state,  and  sol- 
diers, and  captives  swept  through  these  colossal  avenues  to 
grace  the  conquerer’s  return  ? What  was  Thebes  when,  by 
the  way  of  the  Red  Sea,  Arabia  and  the  Indies  poured  all 
their  commerce  into  her  lap,  and  the  Nile  brought  her  the 
spoils  of  Ethiopia  and  of  the  Great  Sea  ? What  was  Thebes 
when  she  possessed  wealth,  and  mechanic  arts,  and  physical 
force  to  rear  such  monuments  even  in  the  midst  of  war,  and 
sometimes  more  than  one  in  the  reign  of  a single  monarch  ? 
What  was  Thebes,  with  all  the  arts  and  inventions  of  civ- 
ilized life  that  are  sculptured  upon  the  tombs  of  her  kings  to 
mark  the  progress  of  their  day ; — from  building  arches  and 
bridges,  to  glass-blowing  and  porcelain  manufactures,  to  the 
making  of  umbrellas,  fans,  chairs,  and  divans,  fine  linens, 
and  all  the  appurtenances  of  a modern  drawing-room  ? 
What  was  Thebes  when  all  merchants  resorted  thither  from 
Persia,  from  Ethiopia,  from  Lybia,  and  the  Levant  ? What 
was  Thebes  when  the  artists  and  scholars  of  infant  Greece 
and  Rome  went  thither  to  school?  Was  not  Egypt  the 
mother  of  nations  ? Where  is  the  art  of  Greece  or  Rome 
that  was  not  tutored  in  Egypt;  — that  has  not  simply 
graced  Egyptian  forms  — nor  always  this?  Where  is  the 
philosophy  of  Greece  or  Rome  that  was  not  borrowed  from 


THE  NINETEENTH  CENTURY. 


151 


Egypt  ? Even  the  divine  Plato,  who  only  waited  for  the 
true  Logos,  learned  at  Egypt’s  shrine.  Egypt  gave  birth  to 
art,  gave  birth  to  thought,  before  Greece  and  Rome  were 
born.  She  was  the  grand  repository  of  human  power  : the 
originator  of  all  great  forms  of  human  development;  the 
originator,  the  inventor,  the  great  prototype  of  the  world’s 
history,  here  laid  up  in  her  hieroglyphic  archives. 

In  all  material  things,  yes,  and  in  all  great  intellectual 
forms,  in  poetry,  in  art,  in  philosophy,  in  science,  and  in  the 
religion  of  nature,  this  nineteenth  century  is  but  the  recipi- 
ent of  tl*e  mighty  past.  Whatever  she  has  of  these  she  but 
inherits  through  Rome  and  Greece  from  their  old  mother 
Egypt.  What  she  has  better  than  these  she  has  by  gift 
divine,  through  that  Christianity  which  purifies,  enfranchises, 
and  ennobles  man  ; reforms  society,  and  makes  free  the 
state.  If  she  hold  fast  by  this,  she  will  become  resplendent 
with  a glory  that  Egypt  never  knew ; but  if  she  slight  this, 
and  sell  her  birthright  for  luxury  and  power,  the  meanest 
grave  at  Thebes  would  suffice  to  bury  this  nineteenth  cen- 
tury with  its  boasted  inventions. 


CHAPTER.XXI. 


MEMNON  STILL  SOUNDS. 

Upon  the  western  plain  of  Thebes,  about  midway  between 
the  temples  of  Medeenet  Habou  and  the  MemnoiWum,  and 
some  thirteen  hundred  feet  in  advance  of  their  line,  are  two 
colossal  statues  that  have  sat  upon  their  rock-built  thrones 
for  three  thousand  three  hundred  years,  and  that  still  sit 
unchangeably  amid  the  surrounding  desolation.  In  some 
respects  these  are  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  ruins  of 
Thebes.  They  are  not  ruins,  but  remains ; for  although  one 
of  them  — that  renowned  in  history  as  the  “ vocal  Memnon  ” 
— was  marred  more  than  two  thousand  three  hundred  years 
ago,  by  the  renowned  Cambyses,  yet  it  was  afterwards 
restored,  and  it  exhibits  few  marks  either  of  the  violence 
of  man,  or  of  the  ravages  of  time.  Just  where  Amunoph 
placed  them  in  the  line  of  the  majestic  dromos,  from  his 
eastern  to  his  western  palace  temple,  within  seventy  years 
after  the  departure  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  they  now 
stand ; just  as  he  had  them  chiselled,  with  the  exception 
of  the  repairs  upon  the  vocal  statue,  they  now  look  forth 
over  the  plain  with  that  contemplative  majesty  which  the 
old  kings  of  Egypt  chose  as  the  type  of  their  power. 

And  do  not  these  monarchs  of  stone  still  assert  the 
dominion  of  the  eighteenth  dynasty  of  Thebes  over  this 
plain?  Who  rules  here  now,  but  the  spirit  that  invests 
them  with  the  contemplative  majesty  of  that  old  dynasty  ? 
Not  these  puny,  half  clad  Arabs,  who  by  day  scour  the 


THE  TWO  COLOSSI. 


MEMNON  STILL  SOUNDS.  153 

plain  begging  a few  pence  of  tbe  Hawagee , or  offering  them 
fragments  of  mummies  and  antiques,  and  by  night  hide 
themselves  in  the  arches  of  falling  temples,  and  the  broken 
tombs  of  kings.  Not  their  present  master,  the  redoubtable 
Abbas  Pasha,  as  distinguished  in  vice  as  his  grandfather 
Mohammed  Ali  was  in  policy  and  in  arms,  whose  relentless 
conscription  for  his  hybrid  army  now  drives  the  peasantry 
from  the  plain  to  the  mountains.  Not  the  far  off  Sultan, 
whose  tottering  throne  is  braced  by  the  bayonets  of  England 
and  France,  against  the  colossus  of  the  North.  No,  none 
of  all  these.  The  spirit  that  here  rules  is  still  the  spirit 
of  the  old  dynasty,  symbolized  by  these  colossi  enthroned  in 
solitary  grandeur  in  the  centre  of  the  plain.  It  was  meet 
that  these  should  stand,  and  stand  alone ; — that  while  all 
their  fellows  are  prostrate  and  buried  in  the  sand  drifts,  or 
in  the  mud  of  the  Nile,  and  the  temple  that  they  guarded 
is  a shapeless  mound,  they  should  stand  amid  the  ripening 
grain  that  covers  the  grave  of  their  old  empire,  to  assert 
that  empire  fresh  and  imperishable  in  the  minds  of  men. 
It  was  meet  that  alone , with  the  naked  mountains  as  their 
background,  and  the  empty  plain  around  them,  and  the  river 
shrinking  in  the  distance  or  inundating  their  base,  and  the 
excavated  columns  of  Luxor  looming  beyond,  they  should 
sit  here  with  their  hands  upon  their  knees,  their  heads  erect, 
their  brows  serene,  in  that  sublime  repose  with  which  they 
first  sat  down  amid  the  spoils  of  victory,  and  the  grandeur 
of  consolidated  power.  They  tell  us  more  than  all  history, 
that  there  were  giants  in  those  days. 

The  Assyrian  sculptor  achieved  his  triumph,  when  to  the 
face  of  a man,  he  added  the  body  of  an  ox,  the  feet  of  a 
lion,  and  the  wings  of  an  eagle,  — wisdom,  strength,  domin- 
ion, swiftness,  all  symbolized  in  one.  But  did  not  the 
Egyptian  sculptor  achieve  a greater  triumph,  when  he 
magnified  tenfold  the  human  form,  retaining  all  its  propor- 


154 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tions,  and  invested  it  with  intelligence  and  dignity,  and  the 
commanding  serenity  of  conscious  power  ? He,  too,  could 
magnify  inferior  animals,  and  could  shape  the  gigantic  and 
mysterious  sphinx.  But  is  not  the  giant  age  of  art  here  in 
these  colossi  of  the  plain  ? 

It  was  meet  that  of  all  the  double  file  of  colossal  statues 
that  once  stretched  across  this  plain,  these  two  only  should 
remain ; — that  fabled  Memnon,  whose  music  has  inspired 
the  poetry  of  all  younger  nations  since  mother  Egypt  gave 
it  birth,  and  its  silent  mate , for  lips  of  music  ever  want  a 
waiting  ear.  Here  they  sit,  colossal  human  figures  each 
sixty  feet  in  height,  and  about  seventy  feet  apart,  to  mark 
the  course  of  that  “royal  street,”  once  lined  with  such 
creations,  that  stretched  more  than  two  miles  from  east  to 
west.  They  are  only  less  grand  than  the  fallen  statue  of 
Raineses  at  the  gate  of  the  Memnonium;  that  measured 
seventy-five  feet  from  head  to  base,  and  was  hewn  from  one 
block  of  sienite ; these  are  built  of  layers  of  coarse,  hard 
stone,  that  now  show  the  seams  which  doubtless  were  at  first 
concealed.  No  art  could  improve  them  for  general  effect, 
or  even  in  the  details  of  attitude,  and  the  execution  of  the 
hands  and  feet  By  the  measurement  of  Sir  Gardner 
Wilkinson,  they  are  “ eighteen  feet  three  inches  across  the 
shoulders;  sixteen  feet  six  inches  from  the  top  of  the 
shoulder  to  the  elbow;  ten  feet  six  inches  from  the  top 
of  the  head  to  the  shoulder ; seventeen  feet  nine  inches  from 
the  elbow  to  the  finger’s  end ; and  nineteen  feet  eight  inches 
from  the  knee  to  the  plant  of  the  foot.  The  thrones  are 
ornamented  with  figures  of  the  god  Nilus,  who,  holding  the 
stalks  of  two  plants  peculiar  to  the  river,  is  engaged  in 
binding  up  a pedestal  or  table,  surmounted  by  the  name  of 
the  Egyptian  monarch  — a symbolic  group,  indicating  his 
dominion  over  the  upper  and  lower  countries.” 

Grand  conceptions  those  old  Egyptians  had.  They  were 


MEMNON  STILL  SOUNDS. 


155 


not  copyists,  but  the  originators  of  great  thoughts  and  of 
speaking  symbols.  Beauty  they  had,  too,  as  well  as 
strength ; for  in  all  the  mythology  of  the  old  world,  there 
is  no  conception  so  beautiful  as  that  of  the  vocal  Memnon. 
The  easternmost  of  these  statues,  upon  which  the  sunbeams, 
shooting  athwart  the  Arabian  mountains  and  the  grand 
colonnade  of  Karnac,  would  first  fall,  when  its  lips  felt  the 
kindling  ray,  would  utter  one  melodious  sound  like  the  vibra- 
tion of  a harp-string ; — the  enthroned  majesty  of  Egypt 
welcoming  with  praise  the  returning  day,  and  the  stone 
crying  out,  where  man  is  often  dumb ; “ Salamat”  * the 
tradition  of  the  place  still  calls  it ; — “ salutations  ” to  the 
morning  that  ever  opens  bright  and  beautiful  upon  the  plain 
of  Thebes.  No  doubt  Homer  heard  it,  and  felt  its  poem. 
Herodotus  heard  it,  but  he  was  too  matter  of  fact,  and  too 
much  in  the  secrets  of  the  priests  to  own  its  inspiration. 
Plato  heard  it,  and  meditated  divine  philosophy.  Strabo 

* Lepsius  insists  that  the  term  used  by  the  Arabs  is  not  Salamat , salu- 
tations, but  Sanamat,  “the  idols;"  and  he  gives  a very  singular,  if  not 
incredible,  explanation  of  the  phenomenon  of  the  sounding  stone.  “ The 
stone  of  which  the  statues  are  composed  is  a particularly  hard  quartz  or 
friable  sandstone  conglomerate,  which  looks  as  if  it  was  glazed,  and  had 
innumerable  cracks.  The  frequent  crackling  of  small  particles  of  stone 
at  sunrise,  Avhen  the  change  of  temperature  is  greatest,  in  my  opinion  pro- 
duced the  tones  of  Memnon,  far-famed  in  song,  which  were  compared  to 
the  breaking  of  a musical  string.” 

In  proof  of  this  opinion,  Dr.  Lepsius  refers  to  the  phenomenon  of  crack- 
ing and  sounding  stones  in  the  desert,  when  rapidly  warmed  by  the  sun, 
after  being  cooled  during  the  night.  “It  is  also  remarkable,”  he  adds, 
“ how,  even  now,  several  of  the  pieces  that  have  split  off,  and  are  only 
hanging  loose,  sound  as  clear  as  metal  if  they  are  struck,  while  others 
beside  them  remain  perfectly  dumb  and  without  sound,  according  as  they 
are  more  or  less  moistened  by  their  reciprocal  positions.”  (Letters,  pp. 
257,  258.)  But  how  will  this  explain  the  uniformity  and  the  continuity 
of  the  phenomenon  ? 

Another  writer,  who  ridicules  the  idea  of  artifice  in  the  matter,  must 
surely  have  forgotten  the  oracle  at  Delphi,  and  even  the  successful  impos- 
ture of  the  automaton  chess-player  in  this  country. 


156 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


heard  it,  but  was  too  intent  upon  detecting  its  cause  to 
enjoy  its  effect.  It  would  work  grandly  within  the  area 
of  St.  Peter’s.  Let  Pio  Nono  transport  it  thither,  and  bap- 
tize it  as  a statue  of  the  fisherman  made  by  Constantine, 
* and  thousands  would  hear  its  voice  each  morning,  or  at 
Easter,  or  whenever  the  Pope  passed,  as  might  be  best 
arranged  for  the  edification  of  the  faithful. 

For  Memnon  still  sounds.  As  we  sat  before  it  on  our 
donkeys,  pondering  unutterable  things,  I saw  a boy  of  fifteen 
with  a solitary  fag  around  his  waist,  scrambling  up  the  side 
of  the  statue,  and  presently  he  was  completely  hidden  in 
its  lap,  just  where  the  sly  priest  used  to  hide  himself  over 
night.  Then  striking  with  a hammer  the  hollow,  sonorous 
stone,  it  emitted  a sharp,  clear  sound,  like  the  striking  of 
brass.  It  was  not  sunrise,  but  the  middle  of  a scorching 
afternoon.  Yet  Memnon  sounded.  Moreover,  it  was  Wash- 
ington’s birthday,  and  as  the  statue  once  sounded  three 
times  to  salute  the  emperor  Hadrian,  we  made  it  utter 
three  times  three  “ salutations  ” to  the  rising  empire  of  the 
W est. 

The  sound  had  not  yet  died  on  my  ear,  when  the  shirtless 
boy  was  at  my  side,  crying  “ backshish ,”  for  he,  like  all 
priests,  must  have  his  gratuity  for  his  temple  service.  “ Half 
a piastre,”  said  the  guide.  I should  have  been  ashamed  to 
pay  only  two  cents  for  such  a gratification,  had  I not 
remembered  that  this,  and  its  equivalent  in  treacle,  is  all 
that  the  present  potentate  of  Egypt  pays  his  subjects  for 
a day’s  labor  in  his  sugar  fields.  The  boy  was  satisfied, 
though  I am  sure  the  guide,  who  handed  it  to  him,  cheated 
him  out  of  half;  for  an  Arab’s  fingers  are  wonderfully 
tenacious  of  money. 

O Memnon,  what  a crime  to  break  thy  spell ! I shall 
never  more  dream  of  thee,  half  waking  with  the  morning 
sun.  The  priests  suborned  the  sun  to  do  for  royalty, 


MEMNON  STILL  SOUNDS.  157 

what  I hired  a copper-skinned  boy  to  do  for  two  cents. 
Memnon  still  sounds.  Yes,  and  a sharp,  brassy  sound  it  is ; 
for  does  it  not  echo  the  universal  beggar-cry  of  Egypt  — 
“ Backshish-a-Hawagee  ” — “ Hawagee  backshish” 


14 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  THEBAN  HISTORY  — SOURCES ROSETTA 

STONE HIEROGLYPHICS ANTIQUITIES. 

“O  Egypt!  Egypt!  Fables  alone  will  be  thy  future 
history,  wholly  incredible  to  later  generations,  and  naught 
but  the  letter  of  thy  stone-engraved  monuments  will  sur- 
vive ! ” Such  was  the  prophecy  of  the  Hermetic  books, 
themselves  reputed  fabulous.  Yet  Egypt,  so  long  enveloped 
in  a mystery  as  deep  as  that  which  surrounds  the  sphinx, 
has  at  length  a history;  and  her  stone-engraved  monuments 
are  the  living  chroniclers  of  her  mighty  Past. 

Around  me  are  the  yet  fresh  and  legible  monuments  of  a 
city  that  had  stood  for  sixteen  centuries,  when  Rome  was 
founded ; that  for  thirteen  hundred  years  before  David 
ascended  the  throne  of  Israel  in  Jerusalem,  had  furnished 
the  major  part  of  the  sovereigns  of  one  of  the  greatest 
empires  of  the  world  ; that  was  at  least  eight  centuries  old 
when  Cecrops  founded  Athens ; that  had  existed  full  four 
hundred  years  when  Abraham  pitched  his  tent  upon  the 
mountain  of  Bethel.  If  not  the  oldest  ruin  in  the  world  — 
for  it  disputes  with  Nineveh  the  palm  of  antiquity  — it  is 
the  grandest  and  the  best  preserved  memorial  of  ancient 
times. 

But  Thebes  is  not  interesting  merely  as  a mighty  ruin 
of  the  past.  It  is  also  a history,  and  from  the  hieroglyphics 
of  its  temples  and  the  sculptured  chambers  of  its  royal 
sepulchres,  it  proclaims  the  great  events  of  that  dim 


FRAGMENTS  OF  THEBAN  HISTORY. 


159 


antiquity  concerning  which  we  have  no  written  record,  hut 
the  fragmentary  memorials  of  the  book  of  Genesis.  This 
rude  history,  carved  in  granite  to  commemorate  the  exploits 
of  kings,  and  to  transmit  their  names  and  deeds  with  the 
imperishable  sarcophagi  of  their  embalmed  dust,  now  inter- 
preted by  the  skill  of  learned  men,  brings  incidental  con- 
firmation to  the  history  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  nowhere 
contradicts  that  history. 

In  all  such  documents  as  form  the  basis  of  authentic 
history,  our  materials  for  the  early  history  of  Egypt  are 
extremely  meagre.  The  legend  of  Osiris  and  Isis,  the  chil- 
dren of  Jupiter,  who  “ elevated  the  race  from  the  condition 
of  cannibals  and  savages  to  that  of  devout  and  civilized 
nations,  who  ate  bread,  drank  wine  and  beer,  and  planted 
the  olive,  and  who  built  Thebes  with  its  hundred  gates,  and 
gorgeous  and  costly  works ; ” and  the  period  of  twenty-four 
thousand  nine  hundred  years,  assigned  by  Manetho  to  the 
reigns  of  gods,  heroes,  and  manes,  have  not  even  the 
shadow  of  a historical  basis.  The  genuineness  of  the  forty- 
two  books  of  Hermes  has  been  questioned  by  sagacious 
Egyptologers.  Of  these  books  two  were  books  of  the 
chanter;  four  were  books  of  astronomy;  ten  were  books 
of  the  scribe,  and  treated  of  hieroglyphics,  geography, 
cosmogony,  eclipses,  cycles,  etc. ; ten  were  ceremonial  books ; 
ten  were  books  of  the  prophets,  treating  of  mythology,  with 
a digest  of  the  laws ; and  the  remaining  six  were  on  medi- 
cine. None  of  the  originals  of  these  books  remain,  unless, 
as  Bunsen  supposes,*  the  great  book  of  the  dead  — a papy- 
rus roll  now  in  the  museum  at  Turin  — is  one  of  the 
liturgical  series.  This  conjecture,  however,  is  not  received 
by  Lepsius,  who  has  examined  the  papyrus  with  great  care. 
Lepsius  argues,  that  “ along  with  such  a historical  literature 


Egypt’s  Place  in  Universal  History,  Book  1,  pp.  26-31. 


160 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


engraven  in  stone,”  as  to  this  day  fills  the  valley  of  the 
Nile,  “ a corresponding  historical  hook  literature  must  have 
existed ; of  course  much  richer  and  more  complete,  though 
we  may  not  be  able  at  present  to  point  out  the  remains 
of  it.”  * 

The  oldest  papyri  known  to  exist,  do  not  go  farther  back 
than  the  sixteenth  century  before  Christ ; but  “ this  is  one 
thousand  five  hundred  years  further  back  than  the  oldest 
remains  of  book  literature  in  the  whole  of  antiquity  put  to 
together.”  The  Book  of  the  Dead  belongs  to  the  eighteenth 
dynasty  of  Egypt,  in  the  fifteenth  century  before  Christ. 
That  the  art  of  writing  was  known  to  the  Egyptians  at  a 
very  early  period,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  some  of  the 
older  monuments  have  upon  them  the  sign  of  the  papyrus 
roll,  the  stylus,  and  the  inkstand.  A beautiful  specimen  of 
this,  and  also  of  the  papyrus  roll,  may  be  seen  in  Dr. 
Abbott’s  valuable  museum  of  Egyptian  antiquities,  now  in 
New  York.  Bunsen  considers  phonetic  and  figurative 
writing  as  old  as  Menes.  Lepsius  states  that  he  found  in 
Thebes  the  tombs  of  two  librarians , — “ chiefs  over  the 
books,”  — of  the  fourteenth  century  before  Christ ; and  that 
he  traced  the  ruins  of  a library  in  a temple  of  the  same 
era,  upon  whose  walls  Champollion  had  previously  found 
“ the  representations  of  Thoth,  the  God  of  Wisdom,  and 
of  Saf,  the  Goddess  of  History;  then,  behind  the  former, 
the  God  of  Hearing,  ancf  behind  the  latter,  the  God  of 
Seeing,  which  significantly  reminded  the  person  who  was 
entering  of  the  locality.” 

The  early  literature  of  Egypt,  as  of  all  nations,  was  of  a 
religious  character,  and  was  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  the 
priests.  It  is  claimed,  however,  by  some  authorities,  that 
“ at  the  very  commencement  of  our  Egyptian  history,  there 


Letters,  (Bohn,)  p.  394. 


FRAGMENTS  OF  THEBAN  HISTORY. 


161 


was  a perfectly  formed  system  of  writing,  and  a universal 
habit  of  writing,  by  no  means  confined  to  the  priesthood ; ” 
that  writing  had  already  ceased  to  be  purely  hieroglyphic 
and  monumental,  and  that  the  indigenous  papyrus  of  the 
Nile  was  used  as  the  medium  of  history.  But  be  this  as  it 
may,  — admitting  that  the  Egyptians  at  that  high  antiquity 
cultivated  “ book-writing  for  literary  purposes,”  and  that 
in  the  time  of  the  Persian  invasion,  there  were  extant 
twenty  thousand  books  of  Egyptian  literature,  — yet  our 
knowledge  of  Egyptian  history  as  derived  from  books,  comes 
to  us  altogether  at  second  hand. 

The  brief  allusions  to  Egypt  in  the  Scriptures  of  the 
Old  Testament,  are  the  earliest  authentic  fragments  of  its 
history  — which  is  there  introduced  only  as  related  to  the 
history  of  another  people.  “ History,”  says  Bunsen,  “ was 
born  in  that  night  when  Moses,  with  the  law  of  God  — 
moral  and  spiritual  — in  his  heart,  led  the  people  of  Israel 
out  of  Egypt.”  Before  this  Egypt  has  no  proper  history ; 
nothing  but  names  and  legends,  dry  records  and  poetic 
legends,  in  which  no  “ individuality  ” appears. 

In  this  connection,  we  may  rightfully  claim  for  the  He- 
brew Scriptures  as  the  most  ancient  documents  in  the 
world,  — documents  that  bear'  intrinsic  evidence  of  their 
truthfulness,  and  that  have  never  been  impeached,  — the 
same  credence  and  confidence  that  are  given  to  the  writings 
of  Herodotus  so  many  centuries'  later.  Viewed  merely  as 
a history,  upon  the  grounds  of  historical  criticism,  the  Pen- 
tateuch should  no  more  be  kept  on  trial  to  be  judged  by 
Herodotus,  than  Herodotus  should  be  kept  on  trial  to  be 
judged  by  the  Pentateuch.  The  same  critical  tests  should  be 
applied  impartially  to  both.  And  I would  submit  that  since 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  as  a history,  have  thus  far  stood  all 
the  tests  of  criticism  commonly  applied  to  ancient  docu- 
14* 


162 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


merits,  they  should  he  received  as  an  historical  authority, 
until  their  testimony  can  be  successfully  impeached. 

The  oldest  historical  authority  among  the  Egyptians 
themselves,  is  Manetho  the  Sebennyte,  a priest  of  the  tem- 
ple of  Isis,  who  flourished  in  the  time  of  the  first  Ptolemy, 
from  322  to  284,  b.  c.  He  compiled  in  Greek  the  chrono- 
logical records  of  Egypt,  from  monuments  and  tradition. 
Though  the  original  work  of  Manetho  is  Ipst,  fragments  of 
it  are  preserved  in  Josephus,  Eusebius,  and  others ; and  we 
have  also  the  complementary  lists  of  Eratosthenes.  These 
fragments  are  especially  valuable  for  the  lists  of  Egyptian 
kings,  and  the  outlines  of  successive  or  contemporary  dy- 
nasties. According  to  Manetho,  the  Egyptian  monarchy  had 
stood  in  all  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  years, 
of  which  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  pertained  to 
the  Old  and  Middle  empires.  His  lists  embrace  thirty  dynas- 
ties, of  which  from  the  eighteenth  to  the  thirtieth  — a period 
of  thirteen  hundred  years  — none  were  contemporary. 

Herodotus,  the  father-  of  Greek  history,  visited  Egypt 
460,  b.  c.,  and  formed  a somewhat  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  priests  of  the  country,  from  whom  he  picked  up 
the  anecdotes,  traditions,  and  memoirs  that  formed  its  then 
current  history.  He  first  reduced  the  history  of  Egypt  to 
a scientific  form ; but  he  was  altogether  too  credulous  and 
too  admiring ; and  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  learned,  that  in 
reliable  chronology  we  can  follow  Herodotus  no  further  back 
than  to  the  seventh  century  before  Christ. 

Notwithstanding  his  facilities  for  knowing  the  country  and 
its  institutions,  Herodotus  maintains  a most  provoking 
silence  just  when  he  has  stimulated  curiosity  to  the  utmost, 
and  holds  in  reserve  the  very  facts  we  most  desire  to  know. 
His  regard  for  public  morals,  in  suppressing  what  he  had 
learned  of  the  mysteries  of  Egyptian  worship,  coming  from 
a Greek  of  that  period,  is  as  notable  as  that  evinced  by 


FRAGMENTS  OF  THEBAN  HISTORY. 


163 


Pio  Nono  in  suppressing  the  exhibition  of  the  disinterred 
wickedness  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  in  the  Museo 
Buorbonico  at  Naples A as  prejudicial  to  the  public  virtue. 
It  were  better,  perhaps,  that  the  mummy  and  the  lava 
should  tell  to  us  the  whole  story  of  the  Past,  — its  frauds, 
its  vices,  and  its  crimes,  — than  that  their  testimony  should 
be  suppressed  by  such  censors  of  morality. 

Diodorus  Siculus,  a Greek  of  Sicily,  visited  Egpyt  in  the 
year  58,  b.  c.  But  from  his  want  of  a chronological 
method  and  of  a just  discrimination,  he  added  little  to  the 
authentic  materials  of  Egyptian  history.  Bunsen  charac- 
terizes his  work  as  a “ rhetorically  patched  and  plastered 
Mosaic,”  and  says  that  “ he  smothered  with  chaff  the  golden 
grains  of  genuine  Egyptian  tradition.” 

After  all,  but  little  reliance  can  be  placed  upon  the  lists 
of  Manetho,  which  have  come  down  to  us  through  such 
imperfect  channels.  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  well  observes, 
that  “ the  primeval  history  of  states,  especially  at  so  remote 
an  epoch,  must  necessarily  be  a matter  of  pure  conjecture, 
since  they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  authentic  records ; and 
if  those  nations  themselves  had  handed  down  to  us  what 
they  deemed  their  real  annals,  we  should  find  them  so  com- 
plicated and  improbable,  that  it  would  be  out  of  our  power 
to  separate  truth  from  fiction.  Such  is  the  character  of  the 
uncertain  fragments  of  Manetho,  preserved  by  later  wri- 
ters.” * 

Well  then  may  we  repeat  the  prediction  of  the  books  of 
Hermes,  “ 0 Egypt,  Egypt,  fables  alone  will  be  thy  future 
history,  wholly  incredible  to  later  generations;  and  naught 
but  the  letter  of  thy  stone-engraved  monuments  will  endure .” 

Our  main  reliance  for  the  history  of  Egypt,  must  be  upon 
the  imperishable  monuments  on  her  own  soil : those  mute, 


* Ancient  Egyptians,  vol.  i.  p.  26. 


1G4 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


unchanging  chroniclers,  upon  whose  face  the  sculptured 
Past  is  ever  present  to  witness  for  itself.  These  form  the 
“dial-plate  of  history.”  Each  temple,  each  palace,  each 
obelisk,  each  tomb  in  Egypt,  is  not  only  a monument,  but  a 
history  of  an  individual  and  his  times,  or  of  the  nation  at 
large.  Deep  in  the  face  of  the  imperishable  granite  or 
of  the  firm  sandstone  that  enters  into  the  structure  of  nearly 
every  building  and  monument,  are  graven  the  names  or 
titles  of  kings,  their  own  full  length  portraits,  and  the  lead- 
ing events  of  their  reigns,  in  battle  scenes,  coronation  cere- 
monies, religious  and  civil  processions,  — a pictorial  history 
of  each  monarch,  with  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
people.  These  sculptures,  unimpaired  by  moisture  or  by 
the  growth  of  lichens,  in  a climate  of  almost  perpetual 
drought,  and  in  some  instances  protected  by  the  fine  sand 
that  has  drifted  in  upon  them  from  the  desert,  retain  much 
of  their  original  freshness,  and  are  far  more  clean,  legible, 
and  sharply  defined,  than  sculptures  of  a few  hundred  years 
ago  upon  the  ruined  abbeys,  monasteries,  and  cathedrals  of 
England  and  Scotland.  The  sculptures  and  pictures  upon 
the  walls  of  tombs  hewn  from  limestone  rock,  and  protected 
from  dampness  by  the  absence  of  rain  and  of  vegetable 
growth,  likewise  retain  in  form  and  in  coloring  a distinct- 
ness that  makes  them  the  speaking  witnesses  of  buried 
generations.  From  these  records  of  stone  must  we  learn 
the  history  of  Egypt,  unwritten  in  books. 

To  appreciate. the  present  value  of  these  monuments,  the 
reader  should  bear  in  mind  the  preservative  influence  of  the 
climate  of  Egypt,  and  the  inducement  of  a people  living  in 
such  a climate  to  commit  their  historical  records  to  the  im-, 
perishable  stone.  The  temples  of  the  Upper  Nile  were 
chiefly  built  upon  the  margin  of  the  desert,  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  annual  inundation.  The  valley  of  the  Nile 
abounds  in  limestone  and  sandstone,  the  best  materials  for 


HIEROGLYPHICS. 


165 


such  buildings.  In  the  Lower  Nile  are  found  “ solid  num- 
mulite  limestone,”  fit  for  building,  and  also  limestone  “ of  the 
finest  grain,  approaching  almost  to  marble,”  capable  of  a 
high  polish  and  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  sculpture. 
Above  Thebes  sandstone  abounds,  and  at  Assouan  sienite 
and  granite. 

The  Egyptians  “ had  so  far  overcome  the  technical  diffi- 
culty of  engraving,  both  in  the  most  fragile  and  the  hardest 
kinds  of  stone,  that  this  seems  hardly  to  have  been  consid- 
ered at  all,  though  their  signs  were  not  composed  of  simple 
mathematical  strokes,  like  the  Roman  or  Greek  monumental 
writing,  or  the  cuneiform  writing  of  the  Asiatics,  but  were 

at  the  same  time  writing  and  artistic  drawing 

No  colossus  was  so  great,  and  no  amulet  so  small,  that  it 
should  not  itself  express  for  what  it  was  designed  by  means 
of  an  inscription ; no  piece  of  furniture  that  did  not  bear 
the  name  of  its  owner.  Not  only  the  temples  had  their 
dedications,  in  which  the  builder  was  named,  and  the  god  to 
whom  it  was  consecrated  by  him,  but  these  were  considered 
of  such  importance  that  a particular  class  of  independent 
monuments  were  especially  devoted  to  them,  viz.  the  obe- 
lisks at  the  entrance  of  the  gates ; and  besides  this,  every 
fresh  addition  to  the  temple,  every  newly  erected  pillar,  actu- 
ally even  the  restoration  of  separate  representations,  which 
had  been  accidentally  injured  upon  the  old  walls,  had  a 
written  information  respecting  which  of  the  kings  built  it, 
and  what  he  had  done  for  the  enlargement,  embellishment, 
and  restoration  of  the  temple.  We  sometimes  find  the 
name  of  the  reigning  king  recorded  upon  the  separate 
building  stones,  as  the  stone-cutter’s  mark,  and  it  was 
usually  stamped  upon  the  bricks  of  royal  manufacture.”  * 

The  Chevalier  Bunsen  eloquently  confirms  this  testimony. 


Lepsius,  379. 


166 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


* No  nation  of  the  earth  has  shown  so  much  zeal  and  inge- 
nuity, so  much  method  and  regularity,  in  recording  the 
details  of  private  life,  as  the  Egyptians.  Every  year, 
month,  and  even  day  of  their  life,  under  this  or  that  king, 
was  specially  noted  down.  No  country  in  the  world  afforded 
greater  natural  facilities  for  indulging  such  a propensity 
than  Egypt,  with  its  limestone  and  granite,  its  dry  climate, 
and  the  protection  afforded  by  its  deserts  against  the  over- 
powering force  of  nature  in  southern  zones.  Such  a coun- 
try was  adapted  not  only  for  securing  its  monuments  against 
dilapidation,  both  above  and  below  ground  for  thousands  of 
years,  but  even  for  preserving  them  as  perfect  as  the  day 
they  were  erected.  In  the  north,  rain  and  frost  corrode,  in 
the  south,  the  luxuriant  vegetation  cracks  or  obliterates  the 
monuments  of  time.  China  has  no  architecture  to  bid  defi- 
ance to  thousands  of  years,  — Babylon  had  but  bricks,  — in 
India  the  rocks  can  barely  resist  the  wanton  power  of  nature. 
Egypt  is  the  monumental  land  of  the  earth,  as  the  Egyp- 
tians are  the  monumental  people  of  history.  Their  contem- 
porary records,  therefore,  are  at  once  the  earliest  and  most 
certain  source  of  all  Egyptian  research.”  * 

The  key  to  these  records  was  given  in  the  Rosetta  stone 
— a fragment  of  black  basalt  about  three  feet  square, 
found  at  Rosetta  in  1799,  by  a French  engineer  who  was 
fortifying  the  town.  This  stone  bore  a threefold  inscription ; 
in  Greek,  in  the  inchorial,  demotic,  or  common  writing  of 
Egypt,  and  in  the  ancient  hieroglyphic  character.  The 
Greek  inscription  was  found  to  relate  to  the  coronation  of 
Ptolemy  Epiphanes,  in  the  second  century  before  Christ; 
and  the  importance  of  the  stone  as  giving  a clue  to  the 
interpretation  of  the  hieroglyphics  was  at  once  perceived  by 
the  French  savans.  By  the  fortunes  of  war  this  stone  was 


Egypt’s  Place  in  History,  Vol.  1,  p.  31. 


EOSETTA  STONE. 


167 


at  length  deposited  in  the  British  Museum ; hut  to  France 
as  the  discoverer  of  the  stone  was  reserved  the  honor  of  de- 
ciphering it.  Dr.  Young  found  the  key  but  could  not  open  the 
lock.  Champollion,  with  more  than  oriental  necromancy,  fit- 
ted the  key  to  every  ward.  He  discovered  the  hieroglyphic 
alphabet  to  be  both  'pictorial  and  phonetic  ; — a picture  repre- 
senting an  idea,  and  the  name  suggesting  also  an  analogy  of 
sound.  Each  year  makes  new  additions  to  the  science  of 
interpreting  these  symbols,  and  the  page  of  Egypt  is- 
unfolded  to  the  scholar  of  this  nineteenth  century  just  as  it 
was  written  in  the  nineteenth  century  before  Christ. 

The  deciphering  of  the  Rosetta  stone  was  such  a curious 
piece  of  ingenuity,  that  those  not  already  familiar  with  the 
process  will  be  glad  to  know  how  it  was  accomplished. 
The  Rosetta  stone  has  a group  of  characters  inclosed  in  a 
ring  — now  called  a cartouch , which  from  its  frequent 
occurrence  was  assumed  to  be  the  proper  name  Ptolemy, 
which  occurs  several  times  in  the  Greek  translation  under 
the  hieroglyphics.  The  same  ring  is  found  on  an  obelisk 
brought  from  Philae ; the  Greek  inscription  on  which  also 
mentions  the  name  of  Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra.  The  obelisk 
has  also  another  ring,  with  a different  group  of  characters, 
and  this  was  conjectured  to  answer  to  the  Greek  name  of 
Cleopatra. 

On  comparing  the  rings  it  was  observed  that  the  first 
character  in  the  name  of  PTOLEMY  corresponded 
with  the  fifth  in  CLEOPATRA,  just  as  in  the  Greek 
and  the  English.  This  character,  therefore,  which  is  a 
square  block,  or  package,  was  assumed  to  be  P.  The  third 
character  in  Ptolemy’s  name  and  the  fourth  in  Cleopatra’s 
are  also  alike,  both  in  the  Greek  and  in  the  hieroglyphics. 
Hence  the  knotted  cord  in  the  hieroglyphics  was  assumed  to 
have  the  power  of  0.  The  fourth  letter  in  Ptolemy  and  the 
second  in  Cleopatra  are  the  same ; and  in  the  hieroglyphics 


168 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


both  are  represented  by  a lion.  This,  therefore,  has  the 
power  of  L.  Again,  the  sixth  and  ninth  letters  of  Cleopa- 
tra are  the  same ; and  both  these  are  represented  by  a 
hawk,  which  therefore  equals  A. 

With  this  clue  it  was  easy  to  construct  an  alphabet.  * 

The  most  important  monuments  in  the  chronology  of 
Egypt  are  the  “palace-registers”  of  Thebes  and  Abydos, 
which  give  lists  of  kings  supplementary  to  those  of  Mane- 
tho  and  of  the  Royal  Papyrus  in  the  Turin  Museum.  At 
Thebes,  Thothmes  III.,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  con- 
temporary with  Moses,  is  represented  as  making  royal  offer- 
ings to  his  ancestors,  who  are  styled  the  kings  of  the  Upper 
and  Lower  country,  and  who  to  the  number  of  sixty-one , are 
sculptured  in  rows,  sitting  on  either  hand  of  the  reigning 
sovereigns.  At  Abydos,  Rameses  the  Great,  in  like  manner, 
offers  libations  to  fifty  ancestors. 

In  constructing  from  such  materials  a chronological  his- 
tory of  Egypt,  the  first  point  is  to  make  the  monuments 
and  the  written  chronicles  tally.  Bunsen  well  remarks,  that 
“ the  dynastic  method  confounds  contemporaneous  and  con- 
secutive events  in  the  same  series.  The  historical  alone  is 
chronological.”  As  the  general  result  of  his  own  compari- 
sons, he  assigns  to  the  old  empire  thirty-eight  kings,  and  a 
period  of  one  thousand  and  seventy-six  years  ; to  the  mid- 
dle empire,  during  the  invasion  of  the  Hyksos,  fifty-three 
kings  and  nine  hundred  years;  and  to  the  new  empire, 
beginning  with  the  eighteenth  dynasty,  thirteen  hundred 
years.  He  also  affirms  that  “ there  exist  Egyptian  monu- 
ments, the  date  of  which  can  be  accurately  fixed,  of  a higher 
antiquity  than  those  of  any  other  nation  known  in  history, 
— above  jive  thousand  years”  The  chevalier  thinks  it  not 
worth  while,  upon  so  grand  a scale,  to  dispute  about  a few 


* See  Wiseman’s  Lectures,  and  Osborn’s  Monumental  History  of  Egypt. 


SOURCES. 


169 


thousand  years  ; for  he  claims  that  by  the  laws  of  develop- 
ment ther§  must  have  been  a period  of  Origines  before  his- 
tory, which  places  Egypt  in  the  “ middle  ages  ” of  man. 
These  extravagant  assumptions  will  be  hereafter  considered. 
They  serve  to  show  the  importance  of  Egyptian  chronology. 

AH  sources  and  authorities  agree  that  Egypt  was  colon- 
ized from  the  East,  by  the  emigration  of  Khem  or  Ham, 
and  his  immediate  posterity.  It  is  plain  also  from  r com- 
parison of  the  monuments  in  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  that 
civilization  advanced  from  the  north,  and  did  not  enter 
Egypt  from  Ethiopia.  Lepsius  affirms  that  “nothing  can 
be  discovered  of  a primitive  Ethiopian  civilization,”  and 
that  “ whatever  in  the  accounts  of  the  ancients  does  not  rest 
on  total  misapprehension,  only  refers  to  Egyptian  civilization 
and  art,  which  had  fled  in  the  time  of  the  Hyksos  rule  to 
Ethiopia.” 

When  we  consider  that  an  agricultural  people  advance 
much  more  rapidly  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life  than  do  shep- 
herd or  nomadic  tribes,  that  the  immense  productiveness  of 
the  valley  of  the  Nile  would  sustain  a large  population  in 
comparative  ease  and  luxury,  that  the  dependence  of  the  soil 
upon  the  yearly  inundation  would  lead  its  inhabitants  to 
observe  the  seasons  and  to  note  physical  phenomena,  and 
especially  the  facts  of  astronomy,  and  that  the  preservation 
of  the  towns  and  the  irrigation  of  the  fields  would  alike  re- 
quire the  construction  of  massive  dykes,  dams,  and  canals, 
we  can  readily  believe  that  at  an  early  period,  the  valley 
of  the  Nile  held  in  its  bosom  a population  of  seven  millions 
— well  advanced  in  the  art  of  architecture  and  in  physical 
science,  and  capable  of  rearing  the  stupendous  monuments 
that  we  now  behold.  From  their  isolated  position,  the 
Egyptians  had,  as  a matter  of  course,  a provincial  and 
national  development. 

Egypt  seems  at  first  to  have  existed  under  a hierarchical 

15 


170 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


government,  administered  by  the  priesthoods  collectively  or 
in  rotation,  as  the  representatives  of  the  various  deities  that 
had  already  usurped  the  place  of  the  one  God.  But  in  the 
natural  course  of  things  this  hierarchical  government  issued 
in  a monarchy  of  which  Menes  is  the  first  known  represen- 
tative. The  monarch,  however,  continued  to  be  of  the  order 
of  the  priesthood,  or  was  initiated  into  the  priesthood  on 
his  accession  to  the  throne. 

Mene$  is  the  starting  point  in  reliable  Egyptian  history. 
He  is  the  first  truly  historical  character  in  the  annals  of  the 
nation.  Before  him  we  find  only  the  'fabulous  reigns  of 
gods  and  demi-gods.  All  Egyptologists  agree  in  regarding 
Menes  as  a historical  person,  and  as  the  head  of  the  Egyp- 
tian empire.  It  is  therefore  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
Egyptian  chronology,  to  fix  with  accuracy  the  era  of  his 
reign.  This  may  be  proximately  ascertained  in  two  ways : 
viz.  by  reckoning  back  from  known  data  through  the  lists 
of  Manetho  and  the  tablets  of  Thebes  and  Abydos,  by  an 
average  of  reigns , and  by  those  great  astronomical  cycles 
with  which  the  Egyptians  marked  the  annals  of  their 
empire.  Much  will  depend,  however,  upon  the  question 
whether  certain  dynasties  were  consecutive  or  contempo- 
raneous ; — a question  to  which  I shall  presently  recur. 

Lepsius,  assuming  the  year  340  b.  c.,  to  be  the  concluding 
year  of  the  Egyptian  dominion,  adds  to  this  the  three  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  fifty-five  years  that  Manetho  assigns 
for  the  duration  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy,  and  thus  makes 
the  year  3893  b.  c.  the  first  of  Menes,  which  he  regards  as 
perfectly  historical.  The  Chevalier  Bunsen,  as  we  have 
seen,  adopts  as  a general  result,  three  thousand  two  hundred 
and  seventy-six  years  as  the  whole  duration  of  the  empire, 
which,  dating  back  from  either  the  Macedonian  or  the  Per- 
sian invasion,  would  make  the  era  of  Menes  as  remote  as 
that  determined  by  Lepsius,  and  nearly  contemporary  with 


ANTIQUITIES. 


171 


the  creation  of  Adam,  according  to  the  commonly  received 
chronology  of  the  Bible. 

Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  makes  Menes  more  modern  by 
more  than  a thousand  years  (2320  b.  c.),  and  regards  any 
attempt  to  fix  the  precise  era  of  his  accession  as  “ fruitless 
and  unsatisfactory.”  Mr.  Reginald  Stuart  Poole,  an  English 
scholar  of  much  promise  in  this  department,  gives  to  Menes 
the  more  modest  era  of  2717  b.  c.,  which,  however,  is  still 
anterior  to  the  Hebrew  chronology  of  the  flood.  According 
to  this  writer,  the  Egyptian  empire  began  four  thousand  jive 
hundred  and  seventy  years  ago.  Menes  built  the  city  of 
Memphis  nearly  opposite  the  site  of  modern  Cairo,  and 
turned  the  course  of  the  Nile  some  twenty  miles  above  the 
city  in  order  to  secure  it  against  inundation.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a Theban,  and  either  to  have  founded  or 
enlarged  the  city  of  Thebes.  This  places  the  foundation  of 
that  city  nearly  three  thousand  years  before  Christ.  The 
date  of  the  great  pyramid,  according  to  the  best  authorities, 
is  2352  b.  c.  Menes  is  said  to  have  been  killed  by  a hip- 
popotamus. 

With  reference  to  the  successors  of  Menes  for  about  a 
thousand  years,  there  has  been  much  confusion  in  Egyptian 
chronology.  The  long  lists  of  kings  given  by  Manetho, 
and  supplemented  from  tablets  and  papyrus  records,  have 
seemed  to  require  by  the  common  average  of  reigns,  a much 
longer  period  from  Menes  to  Moses  than  the  chronology  of 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures  allows  between  the  flood  and  the 
Exodus.  But  Mr.  Poole,  in  his  Horce  Egyptiacce , attempts 
to  solve  this  difficulty  by  showing  from  data  hitherto  over- 
looked but  seemingly  conclusive,  that  these  lists  include  con- 
temporaneous dynasties, — in  one  instance  not  less  than  four 
lines  of  kings  over  different  provinces  of  Egypt  at  the  same 
time.  We  have  long  been  familiar  with  the  invasion  of  the 
Hyksos  — kings  of  Bashan  or  Canaanites,  a mixture  of 


172 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Phenicians  and  Arabs,  known  as  tbe  Royal  Shepherds, 
who  took  Memphis  about  2080  b.  c.,  and  who  ruled  in 
Loweu  Egypt  for  more  than  five  hundred  years,  while  the 
capital  of  Upper  Egypt  was  Abydos.  The  discovery  of  other 
contemporary  dynasties,  announced  by  Mr.  Poole,  reduces 
the  chronology  of  the  monuments  of  Egypt  to  a near  har- 
mony with  that  of  the  Septuagint. 

To  illustrate  this  point,  we  may  suppose  a historian  to 
give  a list  of  all  the  German  sovereigns  without  intimating 
that  they  are  contemporaneous  rulers  over  Austria,  Prussia, 
Bavaria,  and  other  divisions  of  the  vast  empire  of  Germany. 
With  this  list  in  hand,  we  find  genealogical  registers  of  par- 
ticular houses  or  branches  of  these  reigning  families,  which 
omit  all  reference  to  others.  The  problem  is,  how  to  har- 
monize these  tables.  If  we  read  the  first  list  consecutively, 
giving  to  each  king  an  average  reign,  we  shall  prolong  in- 
terminably an  empire  whose  dynasties  really  run  parallel 
and  cover  a much  shorter  period. 

All  Egyptologists  admit  that  some  of  the  Egyptian  dy- 
nasties were  contemporaneous,  and  that  the  lists  of  Manetho 
are  not  to  be  read  in  a continuous  chronological  line.  Indeed, 
if  Manetho’s  lists  are  read  consecutively,  it  is  impossible  to 
harmonize  them  with  the  tablets  at  Thebes  and  Abydos. 

Eepsius  makes  this  concession,  viz. : “ That  several  of  the 
dynasties  were  contemporaneous,  appears  to  me  most  de- 
cidedly attested ; and  I have  been  able  to  obtain  a direct, 
and,  as  I believe,  a genuine  Manethonic  proof  of  it.”  * The 
Chevalier  Bunsen  continually  corrects  Manetho  from  Era- 
tosthenes, whom  he  regards  as  the  better  authority.  He 
also  says  expressly,  “ The  thirteenth  dynasty  from  its  third 
king  downwards,  represents  the  series  of  tributary  monarchs 
of  the  race  of  imperial  sovereigns  who  held  possession  of 


Chronology  of  the  Egyptians ; dedication  to  Bunsen. 


ANTIQUITIES. 


173 


Thebes  during  the  time  of  the  Hyksos.”  Here  then,  was  a 
tributary  Theban  dynasty,  contemporaneous  with  the  dy- 
nasty of  the  Shepherds  in  Lower  Egypt.  The  principle  of 
contemporaneous  dynasties  is  thus.fully  admitted ; Mr.  Poole 
merely  extends  its  application.  “ By  the  evidence  of  coeval 
monuments,”  some  of  which  he  has  himself  discovered,  he 
proves  the  contemporaneousness  of  certain  of  the  first  seven- 
teen dynasties  with  others  of  the  same  portion  of  Manetho’s 
list.  By  studying  the  astronomical  subjects  on  the  ceiling 
of  the  Memnonium,  and  the  astronomical  data  of  mon- 
uments and  tombs,  he  has  discovered  an  astronomical  cycle 
in  use  among  the  Egyptians,  dating  from  the  coincidence  of 
the  vernal  equinox  with  the  day  of  the  new  moon,  — a 
cycle  of  fifteen  hundred  years,  called  the  Tropical  Cycle. 
He  has  also  discovered  a great  panegyrical  year  — a cycle 
of  panegyries  or  festivals,  nearly  answering  to  the  prophet- 
ical year  of  the  Scriptures,  and  that  the  beginning  of  the 
first  year  of  this  sort,  b.  c.  2717,  is  the  era  of  Menes,  the 
first  king  of  Egypt.  He  has  harmonized  all  the  ancient 
Egyptian  divisions  of  time,  and  verifies  his  system  by  “ the 
consistency  of  its  component  parts.”  He  harmonizes,  also, 
the  lists  of  Manetho  and  the  tablets,  and  reads  intelligently 
the  records  of  the  first  seventeen  dynasties,  that  have 
hitherto  given  so  much  perplexity.  His  system  tallies  with 
itself  and  with  the  monuments,  and  synchronizes  with  all 
known  data  of  Egyptian  history.  His  readings  are  ac- 
cepted by  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson,  and  his  astronomical 
cycles  are  confirmed  by  the  calculations  of  Mr.  Airy,  the 
Astronomer  Royal  at  Greenwich. 

Of  course,  the  details  of  Mr.  Poole’s  discoveries  cannot 
be  given  here  ; but  their  results  are  shown  in  the  following 
diagram,  for  which  I am  indebted  to  the  Journal  of  Sacred 
Literature. 

15  * 


174 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

IMenes,  1st  King  of  1st  Dynasty,  b.  c.  2717. 
3rd  Cir.  2650. 


B *3 

crq  D- 

CO 

O Z 

p 

w jf 

e § 
r« 

B • 

*Z 

I1! 


go 

o crq 

8 N 

& i. 

? 3 


p 

Ul 

hj 

B 

H 

4th 


6th 


5th  Elephantinites. 


W;9th  H 

co  Hi 


Llth 


12th 


Rephaite  Nations. 


7 th 


8th 


10  th 


13  th 


15th 


16th 


17  th 


Cir.  1525.  Egypt  united  in  the  18th  Dynasty. 


ANTIQUITIES. 


175 


It  is  obvious,  at  a glance,  that  if  all  these  parallel  dynas- 
ties were  extended  in  one  consecutive  line,  the  chronology 
of  the  Egyptian  empire  would  be  expanded  by  thousands 
of  years.  But  on  what  grounds  does  Mr.  Poole  break  them 
up  into  parallel  lines  ? This  is  done  chiefly  upon  the  evi- 
dence of  coeval  monuments.  For  example,  in  the  tomb  of 
a'  high  functionary  near  the  great  pyramid,  are  two  in- 
scriptions which  declare  that  the  occupant  of  the  tomb  was 
“ devoted  to  Assa,”  and  “ devoted  to  Unas.”  Now  Assa  was 
was  the  fifth  shepherd-king  of  the  fifteenth  dynasty,  ruling 
at  Memphis,  and  Unas  was  a legitimate  Egyptian  king,  the 
last  of  the  fifth  dynasty,  who  ruled  in  Upper  Egypt.  These 
two  dynasties,  therefore,  were  contemporary,  which  is  con- 
firmed by  the  fact  that  u in  the  Royal  Turin  papyrus,  the 
fifteenth  dynasty  immediately  follows  the  sixth ; the  one  con-  % 
eluding,  and  the  other  commencing  in  the  same  fragment.” 
So  James  I.  of  England  reads  James  YI.  of  Scotland,  when 
two  dynasties  were  merged  in  one. 

Again,  the  royal  tablet  of  Karnac,  now  in  the  Louvre, 
already  referred  to  as  containing  the  names  of  sixty-one 
kings,  u is  divided  into  Diospolite  [Theban]  kings  and  kings 
contemporary  with  them.”  These  kings  have  different  titles, 
according  to  their  relative  rank ; some  being  styled  “ Lords 
of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,”  and  others  merely  having  the 
title  “ chief”  or  “ prince.”  This  is  as  if  England,  Scotland, 
Wales,  and  Ireland  were  independent  sovereignties,  but  all 
of  British  origin,  and  Macaulay  should  engross  their 
monarchs  upon  one  tablet  as  kings  of  Britain ; an  illustra- 
tion which  may  serve  to  show  the  nature  of  the  evidence 
of  contemporaneousness  from  coeval  monuments.  This  is 
enough  for  the  purposes  of  the  present  volume.  I only  add, 
that  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  indorses  these  discoveries  of 
Mr.  Poole  in  the  following  terms : “ I have  much  pleasure 
in  stating  how  fully  I agree  with  him  in  the  contempora- 


176 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


neousness  of  certain  kings,  and  in  tlie  order  of  succession 
he  gives  to  the  early  Pharaohs.” 

The  value  of  the  tropical  cycle  is  in  fixing  with  accu- 
racy the  date  of  an  early  Pharaoh.  This  is  a lunisolar 
cycle  of  fifteen  hundred  years.  The  hieroglypliical  signs  of 
the  conjunction  of  the  vernal  equinox  with  the  new  moon, 
occur  twice  upon  the  Egyptian  monuments.  The  first 
instance  is,  in  the  reign  of  Amenemha  II.  — the  second 
king  of  Manetho’s  twelfth  dynasty  — which,  from  the  monu- 
ments, can  only  be  approximated  to  the  year  2000,  b.  c. 
The  second  is  in  the  reign  of  Amasis,  the  last  monarch  of 
the  twenty-sixth  dynasty,  or  “ when  Egypt  was  a province 
of  the  Persian  empire  under  Darius  Hystaspes,  b.  c.  507.” 
This  second  epoch  is  well  known,  being  but  half  a cen- 
tury prior  to  the  visit  of  Herodotus  to  Egypt,  and  less  than 
two  hundred  years  before  Manetho.  Now  Mr.  Airy,  the 
astronomer  royal  at  Greenwich,  by  strictly  astronomical 
calculations  has  ascertained  that  “ the  new  moon  of  March, 
B.  c.  506,  fell  on  the  28th  day  of  that  month,  and  the  true 
vernal  equinox  on  the  preceding  day;  and  that  the  new 
moon  of  April,  b.  c.  2005,  fell  on  the  8th  day  of  that 
month,  and  the  true  vernal  equinox  fell  on  the  preceding 
day.”  Here,  then,  the  sun  and  moon,  set  for  signs  and  for 
seasons,  and  for  days  and  years,  answer  as  faithful  wit- 
nesses to  the  sculptured  stone,  and  fix  the  date  of  Ame- 
nemha II.,  the  beginning  of  the  first  lunisolar  cycle  of 
Egyptian  chronology,  in  the  year  b.  c.  2005. 

In  like  manner,  by  a careful  calculation,  Mr.  Poole  veri- 
fies the  Calendar  of  Panegyries,  and  fixes  the  date  of 
Menes,  — the  beginning  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy,  — 
when  this  cycle  of  festivals  had  its  origin,  in  the  year 
B.  c.  2717. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 

“ The  annals  of  the  Greeks  and  Hebrews  agree  in  the 
early  arts  and  plenty  of  Egypt : but  this  antiquity  supposes 
a long  series  of  improvements;  and  Warburton,  who  is 
almost  stifled  by  the  Hebrew,  calls  aloud  for  the  Samaritan 
chronology.” 

With  this  sneer,  the  accomplished  historian  of  the  Decline 
and  Fall  of  the  Roman  empire  would  set  aside  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  Bible,  as  if  its  moral  truths,  appealing  to  the 
deepest  consciousness  of  man,  and  its  religious  history  of 
mankind,  were  invalidated  by  the  errors  of  transcribers  in  a 
few  chronological  numbers,  or  by  the  preference  expressed 
by  a biblical  scholar  for  one  manuscript  or  version  above 
another ! But  Gibbon  was  too  disingenuous  to  appreciate 
the  scholarly  frankness  of  Warburton. 

In  the  preceding  chapter,  we  have  seen  that  Mr.  Poole 
reduces  the  proper  historical  era  of  Menes  to  2717  b.  c. 
But  this  era  of  Menes  is  still  anterior  to  the  date  of  the 
flood,  according  to  the  biblical  chronology  of  Archbishop 
Usher.  Is  it,  therefore,  to  be  rejected  as  invalidating  the 
historical  facts  of  the  Bible,  or  is  the  Bible  to  be  questioned 
in  its  matters  of  fact,  because  the  chronology  of  Egyptian 
monuments  differs  from  the  chronology  of  the  Hebrew  text  ? 
Neither  of  these  inferences  is  necessary. 

The  chronology  of  the  Old  Testament  is  by  no  means 
settled  on  a scientific  basis.  As  it  stands  in  the  common 


178 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


text,  it  harmonizes  neither  with  itself  nor  with  the  numeri- 
cal epochs  of  Old  Testament  history,  which  are  given  in  the 
New  Testament.  In  the  Book  of  Kings,  four  hundred  and 
eighty  years  are  reckoned  from  the  Exodus  to  the  building 
of  the  temple ; * and  in  the  book  of  Exodus  four  hundred 
and  thirty  years  are  given  for  the  sojourning  of  the  Israelites 
in  Egypt,  t But  the  sum  of  the  individual  numbers  given 
in  the  Book  of  Judges,  to  mark  the  rulers  from  Joshua  to 
Samuel,  does  not  answer  fitly  to  that  given  in  the  Book 
of  Kings  for  the  whole  period  from  Moses  to  Solomon. 
Again,  Paul  computes  four  hundred  and  fifty  years,  in 
round  numbers,  as  the  term  of  the  judges  from  Joshua  to 
Samuel.  J 

Similar  discrepancies  exist  with  regard  to  the  other 
period,  — from  Jacob  to  the  Exodus.  In  Exodus  this  is 
given  at  four  hundred  and  thirty  years ; but  Paul  reckons 
these  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  from  the  time  of 
Abraham  to  the  giving  of  the  law ; § herein  following  the 
Scptuagint , which  reads,  “ Now  the  dwelling  of  the  children 
of  Israel,  which  they  dwelt  in  the  land  of  Egypt  and  in  the 
land  of  Canaan , [i.  e.  from  Abraham  to  Jacob,]  was  four 
hundred  and  thirty  years.”  And  for  this  same  period  we 
find  recorded  only  four  generations. 

Here,  then,  are  disagreements  in  the  received  chronology, 
which  cannot  be  harmonized  without  some  change  of  num- 
bers. The  whole  difficulty  is  prior  to  Solomon.  Bunsen 
admits  that  from  Rehoboam,  who  was  contemporaiy  with 
Shishak  or  Sesonchis,  of  the  twenty-second  dynasty,  to 
Zedekiah  and  Jeremiah  who  were  contemporary  with 
Pharaoh  Hophra,  of  the  twenty-sixth  dynasty,  all  the  Scrip- 
ture dates  in  relation  to  Egyptian  history,  “ accord  in  the 
most  satisfactory  manner  with  the  traditions  and  contempo- 


* 1 Kings  vi.  1. 
J Acts  xiii.  20. 


f Exodus  xii.  40. 
§ Gal.  iii.  19. 


CHRONOLOGY  OP  THE  BIBLE. 


179 


rary  monuments  of  Egypt”  He  believes  also  in  the  historic 
personality  of  Joseph  and  of  Abraham,  but  regards  the 
biblical  record  as  one  of  epochs  and  not  of  pedigrees.  He 
finds  no  prominent  personage,  and  no  genealogical  register, 
between  “Joseph  the  Settler”  and  “Moses  the  Deliverer,” 
and  “ no  certain  chronology  ” from  Moses  to  Solomon  ; and 
indeed  “ no  systematic  historical  tradition  before  Solomon.” 
Now  it  is  well  known  that  the  chronology  of  the  Septuagint 
differs  materially  from  that  of  the  Hebrew  text.  Two 
causes  have  been  assigned  for  this.  By  some  it  is  claimed 
that  the  Septuagint  is'  entitled  to  a higher  authority  than  the 
Hebrew  text,  because,  although  a version,  it  is  older  than 
any  Hebrew  manuscript  now  extant,  and  may  be  assumed 
to  conform  more  nearly  to  the  original  text  than  does  the 
present  Hebrew  text  itself ; that  is,  that  the  presumption  of 
accuracy  in  the  numbers  is  in  favor  of  the  Septuagint  as 
older,  and  nearer  to  the  original.  The  other  view  is,  that 
“ the  Septuagint  writers  altered  advisedly  our  present  He- 
brew,” in  view  of  the  chronological  data  of  Egyptian  history 
and  monuments.  The  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, known  as  the  version  of  “ the  Seventy,”  was  made  at 
Alexandria  in  the  third  century  before  Christ.  It  was 
made  by  men  who  united  the  careful  culture  of  the  Greek 
to  the  religious  faith  and  the  ancestral  pride  of  the  Jew ; 
men  who,  as  Jews,  would  guard  with  jealous  care  the  sacred 
books  and  the  traditions  of  their  nation,  and  who,  as  Alex- 
andrian scholars,  would  avail  themselves  of  all  the  collateral 
light  from  the  books,  the  traditions,  and  the  monuments  of 
Egypt.  They  had  before  them  the  lists  of  Manetho,  or  the 
sources  from  which  he  copied  ; they  had  before  them  all 
the  treasures  of  that  great  library  of  the  world  — “ the 
heiress  of  Heliopolis,  of  Memphis,  and  of  Thebes,  where 
Egyptian  and  Hellenic  wisdom  sat  side  by  side  ; ” they  had 
before  them  the  monuments  of  Egypt,  and  the  means  of 


180 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

interpreting  those  monuments.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that 
the  Seventy  made  the  most  perfect  chronological  arrange- 
ment of  the  Old  Testament  history,  that  a devout  religious 
sentiment,  guided  by  an  intelligent  acquaintance  with  con- 
temporaneous monuments,  could  determine. 

Shall  we,  then,  accept  their  numbers  as  satisfactory  ? If 
Paul  did  so  in  one  instance,  may  not  we  do  so  in  other  cases, 
where  the  numbers  of  the  Hebrew  text  are  contradictory  ? 
It  is  in  numbers,  and  especially  in  numbers  as  indicated  by 
the  letters  of  the  Hebrew  alphabet,  that  a transcriber  would 
be  most  likely  to  err.  If  the  Septuagint,  — a version  of 
the  Old  Testament  three  centuries  older  than  the  New  Tes- 
tament, — offers  an  harmonious  and  consistent  chronology, 
why  not  accept  it  ? 

Mr.  Poole’s  discoveries,  verified  by  Mr.  Airy’s  calcula- 
tions, harmonize  with  the  Septuagint.  And  on  the  basis  of 
those  discoveries  he  fixes  the  date  of  the  Exodus  within  four 
years  of  Dr.  Hales’  Chronology,  and  synchronizes  all  later 
biblical  dates  with  the  Egyptian  monuments.  Is  not  a 
chronology  which,  determined  from  independent  sources, 
harmonizes  with  that  of  the  most  ancient  translation  from 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  — dating  from  the  third  century 
before  our  era,  — which  brings  into  an  intelligible  form  the 
lists  and  records  of  ancient  authorities,  which  meets  all  the 
requisitions  of  known  history,  and  makes  the  monuments, 
the  moon,  and  the  stars  alike  witnesses  for  its  accuracy 
likely  to  prove  the  true  chronology  of  Egypt  and  of  the 
Bible  ? That  this  chronology  carries  back  the  flood  a few 
hundred  years  no  more  invalidates  the  facts  of  Bible  his- 
tory, than  the  preadamic  ages  of  geology  invalidate  the 
account  of  the  creation  given  by  Moses.  Since  biblical 
chronology  is  not  satisfactorily  ascertained  from  internal 
evidences,  we  may  well  seek  to  adjust  the  data  of  the  Bible 
to  a system  so  well  established  as  this  of  Mr.  Poole.  Rightly 


CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


181 


viewed,  his  results,  as  he  himself  affirms,  “vindicate  the 
Bible,  showing  that  the  monuments  of  Egypt  in  no  manner, 
on  no  point,  contradict  that  sacred  book,  but  confirm  it.” 

The  chronology  of  the  Hebrew  text,  followed  by  Usher, 
gives  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty-six  years  from  the  creation 
to  the  deluge : that  of  the  Septuagint  gives  for  this  period 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty-two  years.  Usher, 
following  the  Hebrew,  gives  two  hundred  and  ninety-two 
years  from  the  flood  to  Abraham,  and  four  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  years  from  the  Exodus  to  the  building  of  the 
temple.  Dr.  Hales,  following  nearly  the  Septuagint,  gives 
for  the  former  one  thousand  and  two  years,  and  for  the 
latter,  six  hundred  and  twenty-one.  According  to  Usher, 
the  Creation  was  b.  c.  4004 : according  to  Hales,  b.  c.  5411. 

Such  are  "examples  of  the  differences  among  learned  men 
with  Regard  to  the  method  and  the  extent  of  biblical  chro- 
nology. The  subject  is  by  no  means  settled.  But  the  dis- 
coveries of  Mr.  Poole,  instead  of  being  looked  upon  with 
suspicion,  when  taken  in  connection  with  the  oldest  version 
from  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  should  be  welcomed  as  an  ap- 
proximation to  the  final  and  satisfactory  settlement  of  this 
vexed  question. 


16 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


HISTORY  CONTINUED CORRESPONDENCES  WITH  THE 

BIBLE. 

The  Christian  reader  will  need  no  apology  for  the 
digression  on  chronology  in  the  preceding  chapter.  The 
verification  of  the  Bible  from  the  monuments  of  Egypt, 
must  depend  upon  the  determination  of  chronological  eras. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  confusion 
and  uncertainty  on  this  subject  belong  only  to  the  first 
seventeen  dynasties  of  Manetho’s  list.  The  empire  of 
Egypt  is  computed  by  the  dynasties  or  the  houses  of  its 
kings.  It  will  not  surprise  us  that  some  of  these  dynasties 
were  brief,  or  number  but  few  royal  names,  when  we  con- 
sider that  within  a little  more  than  half  a century  France 
has  had  two  distinct  Bourbon  dynasties,  and  the  dynasty  of 
Napoleon,  besides  two  republics. 

Egyptian  history  is  divided  into  three  grand  epochs.  The 
old  empire,  from  Menes  till  the  invasion  of  the  Shepherd 
kings ; the  middle  empire , continuing  while  the  Hyksos 
held  possession  of  Lower  Egypt ; and  the  new  empire , 
dating  from  the  expulsion  of  the  Shepherds,  when  all 
Egypt  was  reunited  under  the  resplendent  eighteenth  dy- 
nasty of  Thebes.  The  chronological  confusion  which  Mr. 
Poole  has  so  far  adjusted,  belongs  entirely  to  the  first  two 
epochs.  We  naturally  look  to  the  monuments  of  Egypt  for 
correspondences  more  or  less  full,  with  the  brief  allusions  to 
Egypt  in  Sacred  Writ.  Such  correspondences  are  chiefly 


a 


CORRESPONDENCES  WITH  THE  BIBLE.  183 

found  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  as  detailed 
upon  the  tombs,  to  be  described  in  a subsequent  chapter. 
But  there  are  occasional  correspondences  in  the  monuments 
themselves,  too  important  to  be  overlooked.  It  is  com- 
monly supposed  that  Abraham  and  Joseph  were  in  Egypt 
under  the  Shepherd  dynasties.  A striking  monumental 
confirmation  of  the  Bible  in  the  age  of  Joseph,  is  found  at 
Heliopolis,  — the  On  of  the  Scriptures.  Of  this  I shall 
speak  particularly  in  another  place.  Sir  Gardner  Wilkin- 
son makes  Joseph  contemporary  with  Osirtasen,  or  Seserta- 
sen  I. ; but  Mr.  Poole  makes  this  monarch  a colleague  of 
Amenemha  II.,  and  contemporary  with  Abraham. 

From  the  expulsion  of  the  Shepherds,  the  current  of  his- 
tory flows  smoothly  on.  Amosis,  a Theban,  recovered 
Lower  Egypt  from  the  Shepherds,  and  united  the  whole 
country  under  one  empire.  He  was  probably  the  Pharaoh 
“who  knew  not  Joseph;”  and  as  a conqueror  from  the 
south,  he  would  naturally  seek  to  strengthen  his  hold  upon 
the  north,  by  reducing  the  bulk  of  its  population  to  sla- 
very. With  him  began  a new  era,  the  eighteenth  dy- 
nasty, — the  golden  age  of  Egyptian  history. 

The  third  of  this  dynasty,  Thothmes  III.,  was  in  all  prob- 
ability the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus.  There  are  evidences 
from  the  sculptures  connected  with  his  name,  and  from  his 
stamp  on  the  bricks  of  some  ruins  at  Thebes,  that  this  Pha- 
raoh was  an  extensive  builder  of  temples,  monuments,  and 
public  works,  which  accords  with  the  representation  in  the 
Scriptures  of  his  exacting  of  the  Israelites  such  severe 
labors  in  the  making  of  brick.  Indeed,  the  process  of 
making  brick  from  clay  under  the  lash  of  overseers,  is 
among  the  subjects  sculptured  on  a tomb  built  during  his 
reign. 

The  valley  of  the  Nile  is  full  of  his  monuments.  A large 
section  of  the  temple  at  Karnac  was  built  by  him.  A fallen 


a 


184  EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

obelisk  lying  in  the  third  area  of  the  temple,  bears  his 
inscription  and  his  portrait,  of  which  I have  a copy  taken 
on  paper.  I have  also  an  unburnt  brick  wTith  a part  of  his 
royal  stamp  upon  it.  More  perfect  specimens  of  this  may 
be  seen  in  Dr.  Abbott’s  museum.  It  comports  with  the 
Bible  narrative  that  a Pharaoh,  who  is  represented  upon  the 
monuments  as  a great  builder  in  stone  and  in  brick,  should 
have  compelled  his  subjects  to  make  brick,  wearily  and 
under  the  lash,  for  the  building  of  cities. 

But  the  most  direct  and  remarkable  confirmation  of  the 
Scriptures  is  found  in  the  monumental  history  of  Sesonchis , 
or  Shishak,  which  is  sculptured  on  the  outer  wall  of  the 
grand  hall  of  Karnac.  We  read  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the 
Second  Book  of  Chronicles,  that  “in  the  fifth  year  of  King 
Rehoboam,  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  came  up  against  Jeru- 
salem, — because  they  had  transgressed  against  the  Lord,  — 
with  twelve  hundred  chariots  and  sixty  thousand  horsemen ; 
and  the  people  were  without  number  that  came  with  him  out 
of  Egypt ; and  he  took  the  fenced  cities  which  pertained  to 

Judah , and  came  to  Jerusalem So  Shishak,  king  of 

Egypt,  came  up  against  Jerusalem,  and  took  away  the  treas- 
ures of  the  king’s  house.”  Now,  among  the  sculptures  on 
the  walls  of  the  temple  of  Karnac,  are  some  pertaining  to 
the  reign  of  Sheshonk  I.,  who  reigned  from  b.  c.  980  to 
B.  c.  950,  which  represent  the  captives  taken  by  She- 
shonk in  his  expedition  against  Jerusalem,  and  also  “the 
names  of  the  captive  towns  and  districts  ” taken  in  the  same 
expedition.  Among  these  names,  Champollion  deciphered 
that  of  “ the  kingdom  of  Judah,”  and  also  such  familiar 
names  as  Taanach,  Bethshan,  Lehi,  Megiddo,  Hebron  — 
all  cities  of  Palestine  — and  also  the  valley  of  Ilinnom 
and  the  great  place,  or  Jerusalem.  And  here  — what  every 
one  may  read  — are  Jewish  captives,  their  physiognomy 
as  marked  in  the  sculpture  as  that  of  any  tenant  of  the 


CORRESPONDENCES  WITH  THE  BIBLE.  185 

Jews  quarter  in  Frankfort  on  the  Maine,  or  of  Chatham 
street  in  New  York,  — their  hands  bound  together,  their 
ears  nailed  to  the  executioner’s  pillar,  their  eyes"uplifted  in 
agony  and  terror,  as  the  sword  is  about  to  descend  upon 
their  heads.  We  need  no  Hebrew  chronicle  to  tell  us  that 
this  Egyptian  monarch  who  here  immolates  Jewish  cap- 
tives before  his  divinity,  has  returned  flushed  with  victory 
and  spoil  from  the  land  of  Judah.  Here,  indeed,  may  we 
read  “ sermons  in  stones.” 

It  was  either  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  reign  of  this 
monarch  or  in  that  of  his  predecessor,  that  Solomon  made 
his  “affinity”  or  alliance  with  Egypt,  which  was  consum- 
mated by  his  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  the  reigning 
“ Pharaoh,”  who  seems  to  have  been  his  favorite  wife.  As 
the  Egyptian  dynasty  of  that  era  was  still  from  Thebes,  — 
as  it  had  been  from  the  days  of  Moses,  — there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  wise  and  powerful  king  of  Israel,  whose  reign  of 
forty  years  made  Jerusalem  resplendent  in  all  the  earth, 
sustained  by^marriage  the  relation  of  a son  to  one  of  the 
mummied  tenants  of  these  sculptured  tombs.  Hence  it  was 
that  the  commercial  fleet  of  Solomon,  manned  by  the  seamen 
of  Tyre,  swept  with  safety  the  Red  Sea,  then  the  highway 
of  commerce  between  Egypt,  Arabia,  and  the  East,  and 
brought  to  him  “ the  gold  of  Ophir  ” to  swell  the  magnifi- 
cence of  his  capital.  But  this  affinity  -was  short-lived ; for 
before  the  death  of  Solomon,  Egypt  became  the  refuge  of 
Hadad  the  Edomite,  an  enemy  of  Solomon,  who  “found 
great  favor  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh,”  and  who  married  the 
sister  of  Taphenes,  his  queen;  and  also  the  refuge  of  Jero- 
boam, whom  Solomon  sought  to  kill,  that  he  might  not  wrest 
the  kingdom  from  his  own  son.  The  same  temple  that 
records  the  name  of  the  ally  and  the  father-in-law  of 
Solomon,  records  also  the  name  of  the  conqueror  of  his  son 
Rehoboam,  and  from  its  hieroglyphics,  preserved  for  almost 
16  * 


186 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


three  thousand  years,  bears  witness  to  the  fidelity  of  the 
sacred  historian. 

Other  sculptures  here  represent  the  wars  of  the  Egyp- 
tians with  various  Asiatic  nations,  and  some  of  these 
doubtless  might  be  harmonized  with  the  allusions  to  such 
wars  in  the  Old  Testament,  as, 'for  example,  in  2 Chronicles 
xxxv.  20. 

From  the  age  of  Shishak  we  mark  the  decline  of  Egypt 
until  the  Persian  invasion:  then  followed  the  invasions 
of  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans,  and  after,  those  of  the 
Saracens  and  the  Turks  ; with  other  intermediate  invasions 
from  Ethiopia  and  from  the  desert,  till  Egypt  has  become 
“ the  basest  of  the  kingdoms  — a mere  dependency  of  a 
distant  sovereign,  without  a prince  of  her  own.  Nearly 
every  one  of  those  invasions  has  left  its  distinct  traces  upon 
the  architecture,  of  Thebes ; so  that  the  remark  of  Isaac 
Taylor  respecting  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  may  be  applied 
with  equal  truth  to  Thebes,  that  here  are  found  strata  in 
architecture,  the  leisurely  deposits  of  the  successive  military 
inundations  that  have  swept  over  the  land. 

It  has  been  questioned  whether  there  is  any  direct  allu- 
sion to  Thebes  in  the  Old  Testament.  Yet  it  would  be 
strange  if  this  great  capital,  “which  could  furnish  twenty 
thousand  armed  chariots  from  its  vicinity,”  which  was  for 
centuries  the  emporium  of  the  lucrative  trade  of  Arabia 
and  of  Ethiopia,  which  gathered  to  itself  the  wealth  and  the 
luxury  of  the  known  world,  and  whose  magnificence  was 
characterized  by  the  epithet  given  to  it  by  Homer  nine 
hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era  — “ Thebes  of  the 
Hundred  Gates  ” — which,  whether  understood  of  the  gates 
of  the  city  wall  or  of  the  gates  of  its  numerous  temples,  is 
equally  indicative  of  wealth  and  power,  — it  would  be 
strange  if  such  a city  were  omitted  in  the  frequent  refer- 
ences of  the  writers  of  the  Old  Testament  to  the  cities  of 


CORRESPONDENCES  WITH  THE  BIBLE. 


187 


Egypt  that  constituted  the  strength  and  glory  of  the  land. 
Of  the  thirteen  cities  of  Egypt  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, eight  of  which  are  enumerated  by  Ezekiel  in  the 
thirtieth  chapter  of  his  prophecy,  the  sites  of  all,  or  nearly 
all,  can  be  identified,  with  the  exception  of  “No,”  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  most  important.  The  city  is 
referred  to  also  by  Jeremiah  (chap.  xlvi.  25),  and  by 
Nahum  iii.  8.  In  the  margin  it  is  called  “ Amun  No” 

Upon  this  name  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  remarks,  “ This 
passage  from  Nahum  is  very  interesting.  i Art  thou  better 
than  populous  No,  that  was  situate  among  the  waters,  that 
had  the  waters  round  about  it ; whose  rampart  was  the  sea, 
and  her  wall  was  from  the  sea  ? Ethiopia  and  Egypt  were 
her  strength;  Put  and  Lubin  were  thy  helpers.’  The  word 
Iarim , ‘ the  rivers,’  is  the  Hebrew  plural  of  the  Egyptian 
word  taro,  i river,’  applied  to  the  Nile.  The  word  sea  is, 
in  the  Hebrew,  water  or  waters,  and  does  not  apply  ex- 
clusively to  the  sea.  ‘Populous  No’  should  be  No  or 
Na-Amun,  taken  from  the  Egyptian  HI  N AMOVN,  or 
AMOYN-HI,  ‘ the  abode  of  Amun,’  or  Diospolis.” * 
Amun , the  Egyptian  Jupiter,  was  the  chief  deity  wor- 
shipped at  Thebes ; and  if  we  suppose  Thebes  to  have  stood 
for  all  Egypt,  as  Jerusalem  sometimes  stands  for  the  land 
of  Palestine,  Rome  for  the  Empire,  Athens  for  Greece, 
Paris  for  France,  then  the  description  of  Nahum  well  ap- 
plies to  it.  The  prophet  seems  to  have  taken  the  capital  for 
the  country  when  he  speaks  of  Ethiopia  and  Egypt  as  the 
strength  of  Amun-No,  and  adds  that  it  was  “ infinite ; ” and 
so  Jeremiah  seems  to  use  interchangeably  the  names  No, 
Pharaoh,  and  Egypt,  to  denote  the  same  power.  Here  was 
a city  of  vast  wealth  and  power,  from  which  probably  Solo- 
mon received  the  horses,  and  the  chariots,  and  the  linen, 


* Ancient  Egytians,  vol.  1,  p.  12. 


188 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


that  went  to  make  up  his  wealth,  and  this  city  was  included 
in  the  fearful  threatenings  of  later  prophets  against  Egypt. 
The  ruins  of  Thebes  stand  as  a comment  upon  those  prophe- 
cies no  less  mournful  than  the  utter  desolation  that  marks 
the  site  of  Noph. 

It  was  predicted  that  No  should  be  “ cut  off”  and  “ rent 
asunder,”  that  Egypt  should  go  into  captivity,  and  that  it 
should  ever  after  be  “ the  basest  of  the  kingdoms  ; ” that  it 
should  no  more  exalt  itself  above  the  nations  nor  rule  over 
them,  and  that  it  should  no  more  have  a prince  or  dynasty 
of  its  own,  but  should  be  subject  to  foreign  sway  (see  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel).  Moreover,  this  destruction  was 
foretold  as  coming  from  the  east  and  from  the  north,  from 
the  nations  that  bordered  upon  the  Euphrates,  as  well  as 
from  intestine  wars.  Now  the  monumental  history  of 
Egypt  teaches  us  that  the  dynasty  of  Diospolitans,  or 
Thebans,  which  had  stood  for  upwards  of  seven  hundred 
years,  was  superseded  first  by  a king  from  Lower  Egypt, 
then  by  Ethiopian  invaders,  then  again  by  the  Saites  from 
Lower  Egypt,  denoting  a state  of  internal  commotion,  and 
this  mostly  after  the  time  of  Isaiah ; and  also  that  within 
fifty  years  from  the  date  of  Ezekiel’s  prediction  and  sev- 
enty-five years  after  the  captivity  of  Jehoiakim  in  Egypt, 
Cambyses  conquered  Egypt,  and  established  a dynasty  of 
Persian  monarchs  that  lasted  for  a hundred  years.  The 
traces  of  his  invasion  may  still  be  seen  at  Thebes  in  the 
partial  destruction  of  some  of  its  proudest  monuments.  I 
have  already  referred  to  the  overthrow  of  the  statue  of 
Raineses  the  Great  in  front  of  the  Memnonium,  — the  most 
stupendous  statue  ever  reared,  felled  and  broken  by  his 
revengeful  arm. 

Daniel  saw  in  his  vision  four  great  monarchies,  which  in 
succession  overspread  the  earth,  and  then  were  destroyed. 
Each  of  these  monarchies  conquered  Egypt,  and  three  o£ 


CORRESPONDENCES  WITH  TIIE  BIBLE. 


189 


them  — the  Persian,  the  Macedonian,  and  the  Roman  — 
here  established  their  own  dynasties  of  kings  or  viceroys. 
The  same  temples  and  monuments  that  record  the  names  of 
the  Egyptian  Pharaohs,  record  the  names  of  Cambyses, 
Darius,  Xerxes,  and  other  Persian  kings,  and  the  names  of 
the  Ptolemies,  who  administered  the  government  of  Egypt 
under  the  Macedonian  and  the  Roman  empires ; so  that  at 
Thebes,  as  in  one  vast  sepulchre,  lie  buried  all  the  empires 
of  the  world  from  the  migration  of  Mizraim  to  the  fall  of 
Rome.  Each  hath  apart  its  own  sepulchre,  and  the  place 
of  some  no  man  knoweth  to  this  day;  but  here  too  all  lie 
entombed  together.  I find  here  the  name  of  Rome  written 
upon  the  sepulchre  of  thrice  vanquished  Egypt,  and  yet  I 
have  already  looked  upon  the  grave  of  Rome,  that  then 
seemed  covered  with  the  mould  of  ages.  Standing  here 
amid  the  Hades  of  kings  and  empires,  as  one  by  one  goes 
down  into  the  pit,  — the  conqueror  and  the  conquered  to 
one  common  grave,  — I can  realize  that  terrible  imagery  of 
the  prophets  — “I  made  the  nations  to  shake  at  the  sound 
of  his  fall,  when  I cast  him  down  to  hell  with  them  that 

descend  into  the  pit They  also  went  down  into  hell 

with  him  to  them  that  be  slain  with  the  sword  ; and  they 
that  were  his  arm,  that  dwelt  under  his  shadow  in  the  midst 

of  the  heathen Hell  from  beneath  is  moved  for  thee 

to  meet  thee  at  thy  coming ; it  stirreth  up  the  dead  for  thee, 
even  all  the  chief  ones  of  the  earth ; it  hath  raised  up  from 
their  thrones  all  the  kings  of  the  nations.  All  they  shall 
speak  and  say  to  thee,  Art  thou  also  become  weak  as  we  ? 
art  thou  become  like  to  us  ? Thy  pomp  is  brought  down  to 
the  grave,  and  the  noise  of  thy  viols ; the  worm  is  spread 
under  thee,  and  the  worms  cover  thee.”  (Ezek.  xxxi.  16, 
17,  and  Isaiah  xiv.  9-12.) 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


RECENT  DISCOVERIES  AT  THEBES MEMORIALS  OF 

EARLY  CHRISTIANITY. 

Former  visitors  at  Thebes  will  remember  that,  after 
passing  the  great  colonnade  of  Amunoph  in  the  temple  of 
Luxor,  and  the  covered  portico  of  thirty-two  columns,  they 
crawled  through  an  aperture  near  the  south-western  angle 
of  the  old  wall,  under  the  rubbish  of  Arab  hovels,  and  en- 
tered by  one  or  two  chambers  partially  excavated,  into  a 
hall  supported  by  four  columns,  whose  walls  were  adorned 
with  curious  sculptures  in  a tolerable  state  of  preservation. 
Adjacent  to  this  was  what  is  termed  the  “ sanctuary,”  in  Sir 
Gardner  Wilkinson’s  Handbook.  This  part  of  the  temple 
has  recently  been  more  thoroughly  excavated  and  explored, 
so  that  instead  of  crawling  through  a hole  in  the  wall,  the 
visitor  now  enters  upon  the  level  of  the  old  floor,  twenty 
feet  below  that  aperture.  From  the  southern  side  of  the 
temple  — towards  the  old  Roman  quay  — he  first  enters  a 
spacious  hall,  supported  by  twelve  columns,  each  upwards 
of  forty  feet  in  height.  The  sculptures  of  this  hall  are 
much  defaced,  but  they  bear  marks  of  painting,  and  possi- 
bly of  gilding ; these,  however,  are  more  apparent  upon  the 
broken  columns  of  the  small  roofless  area  that  lies  yet 
south  of  this  covered  hall.  In  the  centre  of  this  hall  is  a 
lofty  sculptured  gateway  on  the  northern  side,  which  having 
once  been  walled  up  with  fragments  of  sculptured  stone,  is 
now  again  partly  opened,  and  leads  into  a main  passage, 


RECENT  DISCOVERIES  AT  THEBES. 


191 


with  two  lateral  passages  which  surround  the  area,  and  unite 
at  the  opposite  extremity,  where  is  a corresponding  gateway, 
also  walled  up,  through  which  a broken  entrance  leads  to 
another  chamber,  from  which  an  aperture,  now  some  fifteen 
feet  from  the  floor,  still  leads  to  the  before-mentioned  hall, 
with  four  columns.  This,  however,  can  be  reached  only 
with  a ladder,  which  the  government  has  not  yet  provided ; 
but  there  are  indications  of  a doorway  leading  down,  which 
by  another  year  will  be  fully  opened.  The  sculptures  in  these 
halls  and  chambers  are  in  a remarkably  good  state  of  pres- 
ervation ; some  of  the  smaller  subjects  in  the  lateral  halls 
having  been  cut  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  and  now  being 
brought  out  from  the  debris  of  centuries  as  if  fresh  from  the 
chisel.  There  are  several  heads,  as  well  executed  as  any  to 
be  found  in  the  temples  or  the  tombs  at  Thebes.  The  sculp- 
tures relate  principally  to  offerings  to  various  divinities  ; but 
on  the  north  face  of  the  inner  chamber  is  a representation 
of  a feast,  in  which  fish,  oxen,  fruits,  and  edibles  of  all  sorts 
are  profusely  spread,  and  servants  are  in  active  attendance. 
Some  of  the  smaller  subjects  also  represent  bread  and  fruits 
with  great  accuracy.  At  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
second  chamber  is  another  gateway,  corresponding  with  that 
on  the  opposite  side.  This  seems  to  indicate  that  the  hall 
first  entered  may  have  been  a portico  furnishing  an  entrance 
from  the  south,  from  which  a succession  of  gates  communi- 
cated with  the  covered  portico  of  thirty-two  columns,  and  so 
on  through  the  grand  colonnade  to  the  principal  ^teway  on 
the  north,  that  of  Rameses  II.  This  part  of  the  temple 
having  been  marred  by  the  Persians,  was  restored  under 
Alexander. 

These  excavations  have  been  conducted  under  the  super- 
intendence of  Moris.  V G.  Maunier , who  holds  an  ap- 
pointment for  artistic  sketches  of  the  monuments  of  Egypt, 
from  Abbas  Pasha,  the  present  Viceroy.  Mons.  Maunier 


192 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


has  taken  up  his  abode  in  a suite  of  apartments  constructed 
upon  the  roof  of  the  temple,  which  are  u artistically  ” 
arranged  in  French-oriental  style;  and,  when  graced  by 
the  presence  of  his  amiable  lady,  have  an  air  of  simple 
elegance,  in  striking  contrast  with  the  squalor  of  the  sur- 
rounding hovels  and  their  inhabitants.  Sir  Gardner  Wil- 
kinson, while  pursuing  his  researches  in  Egypt,  in  like 
manner  prepared  a habitation  among  the  monuments  he 
was  exploring,  and  transferred  the  comforts  of  English  life 
to  the  sepulchres  of  Egyptian  kings.  It  is  quite  possible  to 
construct  a cool,  neat,  and  comfortable  residence  within  such 
precincts,  and  at  a moderate  expense.  This  is  the  proper 
course  for  the  scholar  and  the  artist,  who  would  explore 
Egypt  thoroughly.  With  a library,  and  his  family  about 
him,  he  can  enjoy  the  present  while  investigating  the  past. 
Nor  will  he  lack  for  society  in  the  winter  season,  when  hun- 
dreds of  travellers  visit  the  Upper  Nile.  Mr.  Maunier  is 
yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  has  come  to  Egypt  with  the 
intention,  if  necessary,  of  devoting  ten  years  to  his  re- 
searches. He  is  an  accomplished  artist,  and  has  with  him 
a fine  apparatus  for  photographic  pictures,  by  the  aid  of 
which  he  will  transfer  to  an  album  whatever  is  curious  and 
instructive  in  the  remains  of  Thebes.  Such  a Work  should 
be  in  the  library  of  every  literary  institution,  and  of  every 
private  gentleman  who  would  combine  valuable  knowledge 
with  cultivated  taste. 

Mr.  Maunier  is  not  merely  an  artist,  he  is  also  versed  in 
Egyptian  antiquities,  and  will  pursue  his  labors  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  a scholar.  He  has  recently  found  at  Kar- 
nac,  a twin  pair  of  figures,  executed  in  the  same  block  of 
black  granite,  which,  if  it  be  not  a contradiction  in  terms, 
may  be  styled  colossi  in  miniature , for  with  the  semblance 
of  all  the  colossal  figures,  they  have  a stature  of  only  two 
and  a half  feet.  They  are  in  perfect  order,  and  the  hiero- 


RECENT  DISCOVERIES  AT  THEBES. 


193 


glyphics  show  them  to  have  been  a priest  and  priestess  of 
the  era  of  Joseph.  If  Mr.  Maunier  is  correct  in  his  read- 
ing, these  are  among  the  oldest  monuments  of  Thebes,  older 
than  the  colossal  hawk  removed  by  Lepsius,  a few  years 
since,  from  the  adytum  of  the  section  of  the  Karnac  temple 
built  by  Thothmes  III.,  the  contemporary  of  Moses.  There 
is  no  doubt,  however,  that  Osirtasen  I.,  the  contemporary  of 
Joseph,  built  the  oldest  portion  of  the  great  temple  which 
can  now  be  identified.  The  black  granite  from  which  these 
statues  were  hewn,  is  as  hard  and  as  smooth  as  polished 
iron. 

But  the  most  interesting  discovery  that  Mons.  Maunier  has 
made,  relates  to  the  fourth  century  of  the  Christian  era.  It 
is  well  known,  that  under  the  lower  empire,  and  down  to 
the  time  of  the  Arab  invasion,  the  Christians  had  a very  large 
church  at  Medeenet  Haboo,  on  the  western  bank  of  Thebes, 
the  ruins  of  which  are  still  found  within  the  principal  area 
of  the  temple  in  that  quarter.  Some  are  of  opinion  that 
Thebes  was  at  that  time  the  site  of  a Greek  bishop’s  see. 
Traces  of  the  Christian  ascendency  may  be  seen  at  Karnac, 
in  the  columnar  edifice  of  Thothmes  III.,  where  the  sign 
of  the  cross,  and  the  figures  of  Christ  and  of  one  of  the 
apostles  frescoed  upon  a stucco  laid  over  the  ancient  sculp- 
tures, indicate  that  this  also  was  appropriated  as  a place  of 
Christian  worship.  The  excavations  on  the  northern  face 
of  the  section  of  the  temple  of  Luxor,  already  referred  to, 
have  brought  to  light  a large  fresco  of  the  age  of  Constan- 
tine. The  northern  gateway,  which,  like  the  two  behind  it, 
has  been  walled  up  with  fragments  of  ancient  masonry, 
upon  its  outer  face  is  converted  into  an  arched  recess,  before 
which  stand  two  small  columns  of  sandstone,  whose  capi- 
tals bear  a rude  resemblance  to  the  Corinthian  order.  This 
recess,  with  the  wall  on  either  side,  and  the  angle  of  the 
wall  toward  the  north-east,  making  a surface  of  about  fifty 
17 


194 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


feet  by  fifteen,  is  covered  with  frescoes  of  the  size  of  life, 
representing  St.  George  (the  patron  saint  of  the  Copts)  and 
the  dragon,  the  apostles,  and  other  objects  not  fully  identi- 
fied. Some  of  the  paintings  retain  considerable  freshness 
of  color,  while  others  are  much  defaced.  The  stucco  was 
laid  over  the  original  sculptures  upon  the  wall  of  the 
temple,  which  are  still  visible  where  this  plaster  has  been 
broken.  By  this  method  the  Christians  sought  to  conceal 
these  wherever  they  did  not  deface  them,  and  they  have 
thus  unwittingly  preserved  some  of  the  choicest  specimens 
of  the  old  Egyptian  art.  Here,  then,  within  the  area  of  an 
old  heathen  temple,  which  dates  back  more  than  three 
thousand  years,  and  whose  founder  was  “ the  supposed 
Memnon  of  the  vocal  statue,”  was  fashioned  a Christian 
church,  when,  after  the  persecutions  that  continued  with  so 
little  interruption  from  Nero  to  Diocletian,  the  conversion 
of  Constantine  exalted  Christianity  above  the  old  idolatries, 
as  the  established  religion  of  the  Roman  Empire,  of  which 
Egypt  was  then  an  appendage.  Before  the  age  of  Constan- 
tine the  Christians  of  Egypt,  though  they  had  greatly 
multiplied  since  Apollos,  the  eloquent  disciple  of  Alexan- 
dria, and  other  “ dwellers  in  Egypt,”  concerted  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  together  with  the  noble  treasurer  of  the 
Ethiopian  queen,  had  first  carried  the  Gospel  to  that  land, 
could  not  have  been  in  a political  condition  that  would  admit 
of  their  taking  possession  of  the  temples  of  the  land,  and 
transforming  them  into  churches.  But  in  the  reign  of  Con- 
stantine this  was  extensively  done  throughout  the  Roman 
empire ; and  under  Theodosius,  the  temples  of  the  heathen 
were  even  violently  destroyed  by  imperial  command.  After 
his  reign,  however,  the  various  causes  that  led  to  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Roman  empire,  already  dismembered,  reduced 
the  political  power  of  Christianity,  until  it  was  swept  away 
before  the  Arab  invasion  and  the  frenzied  zeal  of  the 


MEMORIALS  OF  EARLY  CHRISTIANITY. 


195 


followers  of  Islam.  It  is,  therefore,  reasonable  to  conclude, 
that  the  fresco  at  Luxor  belongs  to  the  fourth  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  which  began  with  Constantine  and 
closed  with  Theodosius. 

As  a painting,  this  fresco  has  no  great  merit,  though  it  is 
fully  equal  to  certain  frescoes  I wot  of  in  pulpit  recesses  in 
New  York  churches,  and  quite  as  much  in  keeping  with  the 
place.  But  as  a monument  of  early  Christianity  it  is  most 
interesting,  and  especially  as  showing  liow  early  Christianity, 
under  the  patronage  of  emperors  and  bishops,  was  perverted 
from  its  original  simplicity.  St.  George  and  the  dragon 
was  no  great  improvement  upon  Amun,  the  presiding 
divinity  of  this  temple,  before  it  was  converted  into  a 
church.  Whether  viewed  in  an  artistic,  a philosophical,  or 
a religious  point  of  view,  I cannot  see  wherein  a picture  of 
a saint  on  a red  horse,  with  a troop  of  retainers,  thrusting 
his  lance  into  the  jaws  of  a green  dragon,  is  more  effective 
than  a colossal  sculpture  of  a divinity,  upon  whom  the 
serpent  waits,  as  the  symbol  of  wisdom  and  of  eternity. 
After  all,  such  a Christianity  is  but  heathenism  plastered 
and  painted  over  at  the  sacrifice  of  grandeur  and  of 
power. 

After  the  plaster  and  the  paint,  came  the  mud  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  sand-dust  of  the  mountains,  and  covered  both 
temple  and  church,  while  the  rude  Arab  built  his  hovel 
upon  the  buried  roof,  and  squatted  cross-legged,  smoking  his 
pipe  over  the  perished  grandeur  of  four  empires  — Egypt, 
Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome  — and  bowed  his  head  to  the 
prophet  upon  the  grave  alike  of  pagan  and  of  Christian 
idolatry.  Now,  at  length,  the  hovels  are  to  be  swept  away 
by  the  pickaxe  and  basket  of  the  explorer,  and  the  temple 
is  to  be  reopened  in  its  original  proportions.  When  these 
excavations  shall  have  been  completed,  the  ruins  at  Luxor 
will  be  second  only  to  those  of  Karnac,  presenting  a con- 


196 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tinuous  line  of  gateways,  corridors,  areas,  and  temples 
eight  hundred  feet  in  length  by  from  one  hundred  to  two 
hundred  feet  in  breadth,  and  containing  some  of  the  best 
specimens  of  the  old  Egyptian  sculpture.  If,  then,  the  old 
avenue  to  Karnac  shall  be  restored,  and  the  buried  frag- 
ments of  sphinxes,  obelisks,  and  colossi,  made  to  line  as  of 
old  this  dromos  of  more  than  a mile  in  lejigth,  reaching  from 
the  massive  gateway  of  Rameses  II.  at  Luxor  to  the  no 
less  majestic,  though  isolated  gateway,  of  Ptolemy  Euer- 
getes  at  Ivarnac,  Thebes  in  her  ruin  will  exhibit  a wonder 
such  as  the  world*lias  not  seen  since  her  fall. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Mons.  Maunier  will  be  continued 
in  his  office  till  this  great  work  is  accomplished.  Just  now, 
however,  all  labor  is  suspended  in  consequence  of  the  new 
conscription  for  the  army,  for  fear  of  which  the  laborers 
have  deserted  their  homes  and  have  fled  to  the  mountains, 
where  they  are  hunted  by  soldiers  who,  a few  years  since, 
doubtless  themselves  fled  from  a similar  conscription.  What 
a comment  is  this  upon  a government,  which  with  one 
hand  compels  Labor  for  a pittance  to  disentomb  the  past, 
and  with  the  other  drives  Labor  to  bury  itself  in  the  rocks, 
where  kings  built  their  sepulchres.  Labor^  groaning  under 
Despotism  built  those  mighty  monuments ; Labor  groaning 
under  Despotism  digs  out  their  ruins  ; Labor  groaning  under 
Despotism  seeks  a momentary  refuge  from  Egypt’s  petty 
tyrant,  among  the  tombs  of  Egypt’s  most  resplendent 
dynasty.  — “It  shall  be  the  basest  of  the  king- 
doms.” 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


THE  TOMBS  OF  THEBES MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE 

ANCIENT  EGYPTIANS. 

The  tomb,  in  an  American  cemetery,  is  always  unin- 
viting ; — dark,  damp,  drear,  an  arched  vault  under  ground ; 
or  if  above  ground,  overgrown  with  moss  and  trickling  with 
moisture  — still  sombre  and  drear.  But  the  tombs  of  the 
Egyptians  were  rather  temples  or  palaces  for  the  repose  of 
the  dead  — not  dug  under  ground,  but  hewn  from  the  solid 
rock  in  mountains  that  have  no  surface  of  soil,  but  that 
bleach  evermore  under  an  unclouded  sun.  These  mountain 
catacombs  appear  most  striking  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Thebes. 

If  the  founders  of  Thebes  showed  their  forecast  ^select- 
ing for  its  site  a plain  to  which  the  Nile  brought  its  vast 
tribute  of  alluvium  from  the  mountains  of  Ethiopia,  and  its 
still  greater  tribute  of  commercial  wealth  from  the  empires 
of  the  south,  and  to  which  as  a natural  depot  the  caravans 
from  the  Red  Sea  brought  the  treasures  of  Arabia,  of  Per- 
sia, and  of  the  Indies,  they  showed  no  less  a sense  of  the 
sublime  and  the  beautiful  in  nature  in  choosing  a plain, 
embosomed  within  such  mountains  as  on  either  hand  pro- 
tect this  from  the  devouring  desert.  Mountains  there  are, 
all  along  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Nile.  But  nowhere  do 
they  tower  into  peaks  and  break  into  spurs  with  minor  val- 
leys, as  they  do  here.  Still  here,  as  throughout  the  valley, 
the  mountains  are  utterly  bare  of  vegetation,  and  glare  with 
17* 


198 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  drifted  sand  from  the  desert  reflecting  the  burning  sun. 
At  Thebes  the  Arabian  chain  runs  first  south-easterly,  then 
makes  a bold  sweep  toward  the  west,  while  the  Lybian 
chain  advances  its  columns  along  the  western  bank  of  the 
river,  confronting  those  of  the  opposite  side,  and  together 
with  these  forming  a huge  circular  basin.  These  jnoun- 
tains  abound  in  petrified  shells,  and  are  throughout  of  a yel- 
lowish limestone. 

But  their  main  interest  does  not  lie  in  their  picturesque 
collocation,  nor  in  their  geological  structure.  These  were 
the  burial-places  of  the  kings,  and  queens,  and  priests  of 
Egypt,  and  of  her  private  men  of  wealth.  Such  tombs  are 
found  everywhere  in  the  mountains  along  the  Nile,  but 
nowhere  in  such  profuse  grandeur  as  at  Thebes,  or  coupled 
with  such  illustrious  names.  Thebes  is  the  grave  of  empires. 
We  have  seen  in  succession  all  the  great  powers  of  the  old 
world  first  victorious,  then  decaying,  then  dying  upon  its 
soil.  The  sepulchre  of  Egypt  entombs  also  Persia,  Greece, 
and  Rome. 

But  not  only  are  all  empires  buried  at  Thebes  — a world 
is  buried  here  also.  It  is  computed  that  from  eight  to  ten 
millions  of  human  mummies  were  deposited  in  the  cata- 
combs of  this  one  city;  a number  four  or  five  times  as 
great  as  the  whole  present  population  of  Egypt,  and  equal 
to  one  hundredth  part  of  the  present  population  of  the 
globe.  As  I stood  upon  the  Lybian  mountains  that  over- 
look the  plain  of  Thebes,  — which  the  wealth,  and  power, 
and  the  religious  sentiment  of  generations  long  since  de- 
parted had  perforated  for  miles,  and  had  adorned  with 
wondrous  art  for  their  place  of  sepulture,  — and  with 
buried  millions  under  my  feet,  and  the  desecrated  tombs 
of  kings  on  every  hand,  looked  forth  over  the  plain  where 
once  they  dwelt  in  conscious  power,  and  in  its  whole  cir- 
cumference of  fifty  miles  saw  only  a few  scattered  villages 


THE  TOMBS  OF  THEBES. 


199 


of  beggarly  Arabs,  and  over  the  vast  area  of  the  ancient 
city  saw  only  the  four  or  five  half-buried  and  shattered 
temples  that  mark  its  site,  I felt  the  meaning  of  those 
words,  All  flesh  is  as  grass,  and  all  the  glory  of 

MAN  AS  THE  FLOWER  OF  GRASS. 

In  one  sense,  the  Egyptians  made  preparation  for  death 
the  great  business  of  life.  From  the  day  of  his  accession 
to  the  throne,  the  monarch  began  to  prepare  his  sepulchre  ; 
and  the  extent  of  the  excavation  for  his  palace-tomb,  and 
also  the  extent  and  the  style  of  its  decorations,  would  com- 
monly be  in  proportion  to  the  duration  of  his  reign ; for  in 
lieu  of  a written  history,  he  would  cause  the  leading  actions 
and  events  of  his  life  to  be  painted  or  sculptured  upon  the 
walls  of  the  sepulchre  that  was  to  entomb  his  remains.  In 
like  manner,  the  priest  would  cause  his  tomb  to  be  illustrated 
with  the  religious  ceremonies  in  which  he  was  accustomed 
to  participate,  and  the  private  man  of  wealth  would  adorn 
his  tomb  with  scenes  from  domestic  life,  — the  arts,  manners, 
and  customs  of  his  times.  Thus  it  comes  to  pass,  that  on 
the  walls  of  these  tombs  we  trace  the  life  of  the  old  Egyp- 
tians that  is  nowhere  written  in  books  ; and,  instead  of 
gloomy  sepulchres  of  the  dead,  we  find  ourselves  as  it  were, 
in  the  glowing  halls  of  the  living. 

We  will  enter  one  of  these  halls  — that  known  as  Bel- 
zoni’s  tomb,  from  its  modern  discoverer.  Climbing  for  several 
hundred  feet  the  face  of  the  naked  limestone  mountain,  you 
arrive  at  a doorway  chiselled  with  architectural  symmetry, 
and  entering  this  you  immediately  descend  twenty-four  feet 
by  a flight  of  steps  hewn  from  the  rock,  and  then  go  for- 
ward for  about  a hundred  feet  by  a series  of  passages,  stair- 
cases, and  small  chambers,  all  cut  with  mathematical  pre- 
cision through  the  solid  rock,  and  adorned  on  both  sides 
with  fine  sculptures  : next,  you  enter  a hall  supported  by 
four  pillars,  cut  true  and  smooth  from  the  solid  rock,  and 


200 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


which,  as  well  as  the  walls,  are  decorated  with  fine  sculp- 
tures and  painting,  whose  colors  are  yet  brilliant ; then  by  a 
succession  of  passages  you  proceed  to  the  grand  hall  twenty- 
seven  feet  square,  which  is  supported  by  six  pillars,  upon 
whose  sides  is  represented  the  king  in  the  presence  of  vari- 
ous divinities ; from  this  you  enter  various  side-chambers, 
and  a vaulted  saloon  nineteen  feet  by  thirty,  where  the 
alabaster  sarcophagus  of  the  deceased  monarch  was  depos- 
ited. All  around  this  room  is  a divan  of  stone,  some  three 
feet  high  by  as  many  deep.  On  either  side  of  the  grand 
hall  is  a staircase,  descending  a hundred  and  fifty  feet  into 
the'  heart  of  the  rock,  where  the  work  of  excavation  was 
left  unfinished.  The  whole  horizontal  length  of  this  ex- 
cavation is  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  and  the  perpen- 
dicular descent  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  Its  sculp- 
tures are  very  fine,  and  in  excellent  preservation. 

There  were  three  modes  of  adorning  the  interior  of  an 
Egyptian  tomb.  One  was  to  smooth  down  the  face  of  the 
rock,  and  then  cut  the  sculptures  in  bas-relief  or  in  intaglio 
— as  in  a cameo  reversed  ; — another  was  to  cover  the  sides 
of  the  tomb  with  stucco,  and  then  to  cut  the  figures  upon 
this  ; and  the  third,  to  paint  upon  the  stucco.  Where  the 
sculptures  were  originally  cut  deep  into  the  natural  rock, 
they  remain  nearly  perfect ; but  wherever  stucco  was  used, 
the  sculptures  and  paintings  have  suffered  much  from  the 
recklessness  of  Arabs  and  the  pilfering  propensities  of  trav- 
ellers. Their  remarkable  preservation  is  owing  to  the 
extreme  dryness  of  the  rock  and  of  the  climate,  and  to  the 
fact  that  they  were  so  long  hidden  from  the  destroying  hand 
of  man.  No  rain  nor  vegetable  mould  has  reached  them  in 
the  three  thousand  years  and  upwards  that  have  elapsed 
since  many  of  them  were  wrought.  Belzoni’s  tomb  is 
wrought  throughout  in  the  exactest  architectural  proportions, 
and  with  the  most  exquisite  finish  of  sculpture  and  of  paint- 


THE  IIALL  OF  BEAUTY. 


THE  TOMBS  OF  THEBES. 


201 


ing.  The  grand  hall,  when  illuminated  by  torchlight  or 
with  blazing  straw,  presents  an  imposing  spectacle.  The 
cow,  the  lion,  the  serpent,  the  crocodile,  all  well  drawn  and 
well  colored,  adorn  the  sides  of  the  ceiling,  as  symbols  of 
religious  sentiments,  while  the  pillars  reflect  the  king  in  the 
assembly  of  the  gods.  * 

But  the  most  interesting  chamber  in  this  tomb,  is  one  in 
which  the  sculptures  are  unfinished , and  you  see  the  original 
draught  in  red  lines,  corrected  and  improved  by  black  lines 
traced  over  them,  preparatory  to  the  labor  of  the  chisel. 
The  occupant  of  the  tomb  died  before  his  original  plan  was 
executed. 

Many  of  the  tombs  at  Thebes  contain  single  chambers  as 
large  as  a common-sized  village  church.  Some  are  larger  than 
the  largest  churches  in  New  York.  The  most  extensive 
tomb  yet  opened  is  that  of  the  Assaseef,  a sect  of  the 
priesthood.  This  tomb  contains  one  hall  a hundred  and 
three  feet  by  seventy-six  : another  about  sixty  feet  square, 
with  a row  of  pillars  on  each  side : then  follow  corridors 
and  side-halls,  and  a long  passage  hewn  around  the  rock 
and  terminating  in  yet  another  hall,  in  which  is  a pit  of 
immense  depth,  where  probably  the  sarcophagus  was  de- 
posited. On  entering  this  tomb,  you  go  straight  forward  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet ; its  total  length 
is  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two  feet ; and  the  whole  exca- 
vation is  twenty-four  thousand  square  feet,  or  more  than 
half  an  acre,  while  “ from  the  nature  of  its  plan,  the  ground 
it  occupies  is  an  acre  and  a quarter.”  This  tomb  will  serve 
to  illustrate  the  wealth,  the  power,  and  the  religion  of  an- 
cient Egypt.  Vast  as  it  is,  it  is  not  a royal  sepulchre. 
Others  like  it  were  the  tombs  of  private  individuals.  The 
fact  that  the  inhabitants  of  Thebes  and  of  every  city  that 


See  plate. 


202 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


once  adorned  the  Nile,  converted  the  mountains  that  fence 
in  the  river  into  catacombs,  filled  with  temple-tombs  exca- 
vated with  so  much  labor  and  skill,  and  adorned  with  such 
profusion  of  painting  and  sculpture  — even  after  all  allow- 
ance for  the  cheapness  of  labor  in  ancient  times  — indicates 
the  largeness  of  their  resources ; while  the  fact  that  so 
much  wealth  was  turned  into  this  channel,  shadows  forth 
their  belief  in  an  existence  after  death,  and  also  in  the 
immortality  of  the  body  which  they  so  carefully  embalmed, 
and  thought  to  preserve  inviolate  in  the  heart  of  the  moun- 
tain. 

But  our  interest  is,  mainly,  with  the  life  of  the  old  Egyp- 
tians, as  we  find  this  sketched  upon  these  sepulchral  palaces. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  tombs  for  this  study  is  known  to 
explorers  as  the  Harpers.  In  this  we  find  a series  of  cham- 
bers — probably  designed  for  the  servants  and  chief  officers 
of  the  owner  of  the  tomb  — each  illustrating  different  de- 
partments of  domestic  life.  The  first  is  a cooking  scene  ; 
and  from  the  first  glance  it  is  evident  that  the  men  who 
built  these  monuments  were  not  vegetarians.  Their  enter- 
tainments did  not  open,  like  that  of  the  Vegetarian  Society, 
with  pea  soup,  to  be  followed  by  sundry  courses  of  fari- 
naceous dishes,  closing  with  bran  and  saw-dust  pudding. 
Here  are  oxen  slaughtered  whole : a tripod  over  a fire  on 
which  meat  is  roasting ; mince  meat,  and  a hanging  safe, 
with  other  contrivances  of  modern  kitchens  for  keeping 
provisions  from  vermin ; — possibly  they  were  acquainted 
with  Lyon’s  Magnetic  Powder,  the  flea  powder  of  the 
East ; other  cooks  are  kneading  dough  and  preparing  seed- 
cake. 

In  another  chamber  we  see  the  feast  in  progress ; the 
retinue  of  servants  in  waiting,  and  bands  of  musicians  to 
entertain  the  guests.  Another  apartment  exhibits  the  style 
of  furniture.  Here  we  see  representations  of  sofas,  divans, 


BRICK-MAKING. 


203 


and  stuffed  and  painted  arm-chairs.  Here  are  vases  of  por- 
celain ; leopard  skins,  prepared  for  ornaments ; basins  and 
ewers  ; fans,  and  embroidered  articles ; specimens  of  which 
are  in  Dr.  Abbott’s  museum.  In  another  are  portrayed 
agricultural  employments.  Here  we  see  an  inundation  of 
the  Nile ; the  process  of  sowing  and  of  reaping ; the  com- 
mon fruits  of  the  country,  grapes  and  dates  ; also  birds  and 
eggs.  We  find  the  same  rude  plow  already  described  as  in 
common  use.  In  some  tombs  we  learn  the  popular  sports  : 
wrestling,  dancing,  gymnastic  exercises,  fishing,  and  the 
chase.  In  others  are  seen  triumphal  processions ; represent- 
ing kings  and  conquered  nations,  or  religious  ceremonials. 
Captives  are  seen  beheaded,  or  with  their  right  hands  cut 
off.  From  one  tomb  I copied  a sculpture  of  a negro  slave 
with  marked  physiognomy.  Slaves  are  frequently  depicted  ; 
one  female  slave  is  seen  in  the  disagreeable  act  of  holding  a 
ewer  to  her  mistress,  who  is  relieving  herself  of  a surfeit  of 
food.  Comical  touches  and  caricatures  are  often  introduced 
in  these  decorations. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  tombs  at  Thebes  is  that  of 
Rochscere , “ the  overseer  of  public  buildings,”  under  Thoth-_ 
mes  III.  — probably  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus.  I have 
already  spoken  of  this  monarch  as  a great  architect,  and  the 
subjects  represented  on  the  walls  of  this  tomb  illustrate  this 
fact.  It  was  appropriate  that  the  tomb  of  his  master-builder 
should  be  illustrated  by  such  subjects.  Here  the  monarch 
is  seen  presenting  obelisks  to  the  divinity,  and  these  obe- 
lisks are  found  at  this  day  in  the  temple  of  Karnac.  Here, 
too,  is  depicted  the  whole  process  of  brickmaking  — the  slaves 
of  the  king  shaping  the  mud  of  the  Nile  into  crude  brick, 
just  as  the  fellahs  are  seen  doing  at  this  day.  Taskmasters 
with  whips  are  stationed  at  intervals  among  the  workmen,  a 
pictorial  representation  of  the  scenes  that  daily  occurred 
among  the  Israelites  in  their  cruel  bondage.  The  picture  is 


204 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


so  far  defaced  that  the  features  of  the  workmen  cannot  be 
distinguished  ; but  the  scene  itself,  depicted  in  this  tomb,  is 
a suggestive  confirmation  of  the  narrative  in  Exodus.  The 
characteristic  scenes  of  the  era  are  building  scenes  ; and  in 
the  taskmaster’s  tomb  slaves  are  seen  making  brick  under 
the  lash. 

The  incidental  confirmations  of  the  Bible  from  the  tombs 
of  Egypt,  are  numerous  and  striking.  The  curious  reader 
will  find  many  of  these  collected  in  Hengstenberg’s  Egypt 
and  the  Books  of  Moses , and  in  Osborne’s  Egypt,  her  Testi- 
mony to  the  Truth.  I can  barely  allude  to  them  here. 

The  Bible  alludes  to  Egypt  only  incidentally,  but  always 
in  terms  that  indicate  in  that  country  a high  state  of  wealth, 
power,  and  civilization  in  the  time  of  Joseph.  Some  of  its 
allusions  also  indicate  a state  of  society,  and  a religious  be- 
lief, differing  from  other  nations.  All  these  allusions  are 
confirmed  by  coeval  monuments,  showing  that  the  writer  of 
the  Pentateuch  must  have  been  in  Egypt,  and  that  he  wrote 
of  it  as  a familiar  country.  For  example  : — 

Joseph  was  bought  as  a slave. 

Slaves  are  depicted  on  the  oldest  monuments. 

Joseph  was  exalted  to  be  steward. 

The  steward,  with  his  books,  is  represented  on  the  tombs 
over  every  great  household. 

Joseph  used  a cup  in  divining. 

Divining  with  a cup  is  pictured  on  the  tombs. 

Pharaoh  dreamed  of  kine  from  the  river. 

The  cow  and  the  river  are  symbols  of  plenty. 

Pharaoh  gave  Joseph  a gold  chain  upon  his  neck. 

This  ornament  is  seen  in  the  pictures  of  princes,  and  gold 
ornaments  of  ancient  Egyptian  manufacture  are  to  be  seen 
in  Abbott’s  museum. 

Joseph  built  storehouses  for  grain. 

Pictures  of  granaries  are  found  in  coeval  tombs. 


BIBLE  CUSTOMS. 


205 


Joseph’s  brethren  sat  at  meat. 

In  the  pictures  of  feasts,  in  the  tombs,  the  guests  are  seen 
sitting  instead  of  reclining. 

Jacob  was  embalmed  and  was  buried  with  great  mourning. 

The  Egyptians  embalmed  their  dead,  and  long  funeral 
processions  are  found  upon  the  tombs. 

The  Israelites  made  bricks  with  straw. 

Chopped  straw  is  found  in  ancient  bricks. 

Moses  was  put  in  an  ark  of  papyrus  and  bitumen. 

These  were  in  common  use  for  mummy  cases. 

The  daughter  of  Pharaoh  came  to  bathe. 

There  is  on  a tomb  a picture  of  a female  bathing,  attended 
by  four  maids.  Such  public  exposure  of  women  is  not  ori- 
ental, but  Egyptian. 

The  Israelites  were  pursued  with  chariots. 

Every  battle  scene  abounds  in  chariots  of  war. 

Miriam  rejoiced  with  timbrels. 

Timbrels  and  harps  were  Egyptian  instruments  of  music. 

In  erecting  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  the  Israelites 
were  called  upon  to  work  in  precious  stones ; in  refining  and 
working  metals ; in  carving  wood  and  preparing  leather ; in 
spinning,  weaving,  embroidery,  and  the  preparation  of  oils. 
These  arts  they  must  have  learned  in  Egypt ; and  all  these 
arts  are  represented  upon  contemporaneous  history.  Not 
more  certainly  do  the  physical  features  of  Palestine  testify 
that  the  Bible  was  mainly  written  in  that  country,  than  do 
the  tombs  of  Egypt  witness  that  the  author  of  the  Penta- 
teuch was  skilled  in  all  the  arts  and  manners  of  the  Egyp- 
tians. 

In  several  of  the  tombs  are  representations  of  mechanic 
arts,  such  as  those  of  the  carpenter,  the  currier,  the  boat- 
builder,  — the  boat  having  the  same  form  and  managed  in 
the  same  way  as  the  boats  now  seen  on  the  Nile,  — the 
maker  of  chariots,  the  worker  in  metals,  the  manufacturer 
18 


% 


206  EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

of  musical  instruments,  the  linen  weaver,  and  the  glass- 
blower.  This  last  assures  us  that  the  antiquity  of  glass 
making  dates  far  back  of  the  accidental  melting  of  silicious 
sand  at  the  mouth  of  the  Belus.  Some  fine  specimens  of 
ancient  Egyptian  glass  are  contained  in  Dr.  Abbott’s  mu- 
seum. I have  in  my  own  possession  a tolerable  specimen 
of  its  texture  and  quality.  All  the  arts  alluded  to  by  Isaiah 
as  practised  in  Egypt,  are  here  sketched  upon  the  tombs. 

The  religious  belief  of  the  Egyptians,  and  especially  their 
faith  in  immortality,  is  portrayed  by  symbols  on  the  walls  of 
these  tombs.  This  topic  must  be  reserved  for  another 
chapter  ; but  I cannot  omit  to  mention  here  a pictorial  repre- 
sentation of  human  life,  beginning  with  birth  and  passing 
through  all  the  periods  of  life,  then  terminating  in  a funeral 
procession,  where  the  human-headed  and  winged  serpent  is 
conspicuous,  and  the  mummied  corpse  is  borne  in  a boat 
supported  by  sphinxes.  Beyond  the  sarcophagus  is  seen 
that  exquisite  symbol  of  immortality,  a child  in  a winged 
globe.  This  is  a pictorial  book  of  the  dead,  representing  the 
gradual  passage  of  the  deceased  to  the  realms  of  light. 

It  is  impossible,  within  the  present  limits,  fo  enumerate 
even  in  the  way  of  a catalogue,  all  the  subjects  detailed 
upon  the  tombs  at  Thebes.  The  curious  reader  will  find 
numerous  copies  in  the  splendid  work  of  Sir  Gardner  Wil- 
kinson on  the  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Ancient  Egyp- 
tians. But  to  one  upon  the  ground,  defaced  as  the  paintings 
and  sculptures  now  are  by  the  vandalism  of  Arabs  and  of 
antiquaries,  it  seems,  as  he  goes  from  tomb  to  tomb,  that  he 
is  visiting  the  picture  galleries,  the  manufactories,  and  the 
private  houses  of  the  old  Egyptians,  and  mingling  famil- 
iarly in  their  every-day  scenes.  It  is  not  death,  but  life,  one 
here  beholds ; or,  rather,  as  at  Pompeii,  life  exhumed  from 
the  chambers  of  the  dead.  In  the  eloquent  language  of 
Dr.  (now  Cardinal)  Wiseman,  “ When,  after  so  many  ages 


THE  ARTS  IN  EGYPT. 


207 


of  darkness  and  uncertainty,  we  see  the  lost  history  of  this 
people  revive,  and  take  its  stand  beside  that  of  other  an- 
cient empires ; when  we  read  the  inscriptions  of  its  kings, 
recording  their  mighty  exploits  and  regal  qualities,  and 
gaze  upon  their  monuments,  with  the  full  understanding  of 
the  events  which  they  commemorate,  the  impression  is 
scarcely  less  striking  to  an  enlightened  mind,  than  what  the 
traveller  would  feel,  if,  when  silently  pacing  the  catacombs 
at  Thebes,  he  should  see  those  corpses,  which  the  embalm- 
er’s  skill  has  for  so  many  ages  rescued  from  decay,  on  a 
sudden  burst  their  cerements,  and  start  resuscitated  from 
their  niches.”  * 

These  old  Egyptians,  whose  tombs  and  temples  are  now 
open  to  our  inspection,  and  whose  social,  commercial,  relig- 
ious, and  political  history  is  written  upon  the  imperishable 
rock,  where  all  may  read  it  — these  ancients,  over  whom  we 
of  this  nineteenth  century  are  wont  to  boast  in  all  the 
“improvements”  and  the  material  comforts  of  life,  had 
wealth  beyond  all  computation ; commerce  in  all  the  “ pre- 
cious things  ” of  Arabia,  of  Persia,  and  the  Indies,  in  gold, 
and  jewels,  and  spices,  and  silks,  and  aromatics ; manufac- 
tures of  fine  linen  and  embroidered  work,  of  vases  of  porce- 
lain and  pottery,  of  oil,  of  chariots,  of  baskets  and  wicker- 
work, of  glass-  ornaments  and  utensils,  and  of  many  other 
articles  of  comfort  and  of  luxury ; husbandry  that  made 
Egypt  the  granary  of  the  world,  and  once  and  again  the 
support  of  neighboring  nations  in  time  of  famine ; civilisa- 
tion that  well  supplied  the  comforts  of  domestic  life,  that 
furnished  their  houses  with  chairs,  sofas,  and  couches  for 
their  parlors,  as  well  as  with  copper  utensils,  caldrons,  tri- 
pods, mortars,  pallets,  ovens  for  their  kitchens;  mechanic 
arts  to  fabricate  various  and  formidable  weapons  of  war, 


Science  and  Religion,  vol.  ii.  p.  54. 


208 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


and  to  erect  buildings  and  monuments  that  would  now  ex- 
haust the  combined  strength  and  treasures  of  all  the  nations 
of  Europe ; an  art  that  could  excavate  from  the  quarry  a 
block  of  sienite  weighing  nearly  nine  hundred  tons,  that 
could  transport  it  more  than  a hundred  miles,  — the  distance 
of  the  nearest  quarry,  — and  that  could  erect  this  block, 
when  carved  into  a statue,  upon  a pedestal  prepared  for  it 
at  the  gateway  of  a temple  whose  porch  was  lined  with 
similar,  though  smaller  figures  ; an  art  that  could  arrange  in 
perfect  order  a double  row  of  fourteen  pillars,  each  upward 
of  seventy  feet  high  by  thirty-six  in  circumference,  and 
raise  to  the  top  of  these  stones  thirty  feet  in  length  by  six 
feet  in  breadth,  and  the  same  in  thickness,  and  then  dispose 
about  this  central  avenue  other  avenues  formed  by  a hun- 
dred and  twenty-two  majestic  pillars,  in  like  manner  capped 
with  gigantic  stones,  until  the  roofed  temple  covered  an  acre 
and  a half,  and  with  its  surroundings  ten  times  that  surface, 
and  this  centuries  before  Solomon  built  the  inferior  temple 
at  Jerusalem ; an  art,  in  short,  that  could  build  Karnac  and 
the  pyramids : fine  arts  also ; sculpture , which  if  it  be  less 
delicate  than  that  of  Greece,  is  more  grand  and  spirited, 
which  at  times  unites  beauty  with  grandeur,  but  which  in 
majesty  of  conception  is  rivalled  only  by  the  contemporary 
sculptures  of  Nineveh ; painting , which  after  four  thousand 
years  retains  the  freshness  of  its  colors ; music , which  in- 
vented both  wind  and  stringed  instruments ; mathematical 
science , that  could  arrange  with  precision  and  skill  all  archi- 
tectural lines  and  forms ; astronomical  science , that  decorated 
the  ceilings  of  temples  with  celestial  signs ; geological  sci- 
ence, so  far  as  this  relates  to  the  selection  of  different  quali- 
ties of  stone  for  different  qualities  of  soil ; philosophy , that 
evolved  the  great  idea  of  a judgment  and  a future  state  and 
the  soul’s  immortality,  though  in  the  form  of  metempsycho- 
sis, or  the  transmigration  of  souls,  a philosophy  that  Moses 


MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS. 


209 


and  Plato  studied,  and  that  gave  wisdom  to  the  world;  and 
all  these  under  the  guardianship  of  a physical  force  that 
was  for  centuries  victorious  upon  every  field,  that  subdued 
Ethiopia  and  Judea,  and  swept  Syria  to  the  Euphrates,  and 
that  was  shielded  at  home  upon  three  sides  by  the  moun- 
tains and  the  desert,  and  on  the  fourth  side  by  the  sea.  And 
yet  with  all  its  wealth,  and  commerce,  and  manufactures, 
and  agriculture,  and  civilization,  and  art,  and  science,  and 
philosophy,  and  material  force,  and  natural  barriers,  Egypt 
has  perished,  utterly  and  for  ever  perished.  I stand  upon 
its  grave,  upon  the  grave  of  a city  that  had  ceased  to  be  a 
thousand  years  before  New  York  was  settled,  and  standing 
here  I see  and  know  that  the  Egypt  that  once  was  can  know 
no  resurrection.  The  mighty  conquerors  of  Egypt,  too,  have 
perished.  The  Persian  empire,  the  Macedonian,  the  Roman, 
are  fallen  to  rise  no  more.  We  must  not  despise  these  as 
empires  of  mere  brute  force.  They  had  learning  and  art 
as  well  as  arms.  We  know  little  in  advance  of  them, 
except  what  we  have  learned  through  the  Gospel.  To  that 
America  owes  every  thing.  And  only  by  adhering  to  the 
principles  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  can  the  young  Republic 
of  the  West  avoid  the  fate  of  older  nations. 


18* 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


GODS  OF  THE  EGYPTIANS — DOCTRINE  OF  IMMORTALITY. 

Herodotus  describes  the  Egyptians  as  “very  religious, 
surpassing  all  men  in  the  honors  they  pay  to  the  gods.” 
And  this  description  is  verified  by  the  prominence  given  to 
religious  subjects  in  the  sculptures  that  crowd  their  temples 
and  tombs.  The  ancient  Egyptians  had  three  principal' 
orders  of  gods,  and  several  subordinate  triads  in  each.  Yet 
they  seem  originally  to  have  believed  in  the  unity  of  God, 
conceiving  of  Amun  Re,  the  king  of  gods,  a concealed  God, 
the  creative  principle,  who  holds  in  his  hands  all  life  and 
power.  This  proper  Divinity  is  nowhere  represented  in 
the  sculptures,  but  his  attributes  were  also  deified,  and 
these  are  set  forth  under  various  symbols.  In  general,  “ the 
figures  of  the  gods  were  deified  attributes  indicative  of  the 
intellect,  power,  goodness,  might,  and  other  qualities  of  the 
eternal  Being. 

44  Each  form  was  one  of  his  attributes ; in  the  same  man- 
ner as  our  expressions,  4 the  Creator,’  4 the  Omniscient,’  4 the 
Almighty,’  or  any  other  title,  indicate  one  and  the  same 
Being ; and  hence  arose  the  distinction  between  the  great 
gods,  and  those  of  an  inferior  grade,  which  were  physical 
objects,  as  the  sun  and  moon,  or  abstract  notions  of  various 
kinds,  as  4 valor,’  4 strength,’  4 intellectual  gifts,’  and  the  .like, 
personified  under  different  forms Upon  this  princi- 

ple, it  is  probable  that  gods  were  made  of  the  virtues,  the 
senses,  and,  in  short,  every  abstract  idea  which  had  reference 


GODS  OF  THE  EGYPTIANS. 


211 


to  the  Deity,  or  man  ; and  we  may  therefore  expect  to  find, 
in  this  catalogue,  intellect,  might,  wisdom,  creative  power, 
the  generative  and  productive  principles,  thought,  will, 
goodness,  mercy,  compassion,  divine  vengeance,  prudence, 
temperance,  fortitude,  fate,  love,  hope,  charity,  joy,  time, 
space,  infinity,  as  well  as  sleep,  harmony,  and  even  divisions 
of  time,  as  the  year,  month,  day,  and  hours,  and  an  innumer- 
able host  of  abstract  notions. 

“There  were  also  innumerable  physical  deities  in  the 
Egyptian  Pantheon,  as  earth,  heaven,  the  sun  and  moon, 
and  others  revered  for  the  benefits  they  conferred  on  man.”  * 

The  representation  of  a triad  of  divinities,  so  common  in 
the  sculptures,  is  one  of  the  most  curious  and  suggestive 
features  of  their  system. 

The  metaphysical  doctrine  of  the  superessential  Deity  was 
held  by  the  priests  as  a sacred  mystery.  But  the  common 
people  were  left  to  the  most  frivolous  and  degrading  super- 
stitions, and  worshipped  the  symbols  of  the  divine  attributes 
as  themselves  gods.  Partly  for  sanatory  reasons,  and 
partly  with  a view  to  preserve  their  species,  several  animals 
and  plants  were  set  apart  as  sacred.  These  varied  in  dif- 
ferent districts.  Thus  as  we  have  seen  the  crocodile  was 
worshipped  in  one  nome,  and  hunted  as  an  enemy  in 
another.  The  wolf,  the  dog,  the  ram,  a sea  fish,  a river  fish, 
leeks  and  onions,  all  in  their  turn  were  sacred  objects.  The 
idolatry  of  the  masses  was  as  gross  as  the  mysteries  of  the 
priesthood  were  refined.  They  worshipped  the  graven 
images  upon  the  temple,  instead  of  the  divinity  enshrined 
within  it. 

From  the  representations  upon  the  temples  and  the 
tombs,  it  is  evident  that  the  religious  rites  of  the  Egyptians 
were  conducted  with  great  pomp  and  ceremony,  and  that 


* Wilkinson,  vol.  iv.  p.  172. 


212 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  priesthood  possessed  great  dignity  and  power.  Some 
of  these  representations  also  evince  a deep  religious  senti- 
ment, a sense  of  accountability  and  of  the  future  life.  The 
judgment  scene,  which  often  occurs,  is  highly  impressive. 
In  particular  I was  struck  with  one  in  the  side  adytum  of  a 
small  Dayr  on  the  west  bank  of  Thebes.  The  deceased,  in 
a reverent  attitude,  approaches  the  throne  of  judgment, 
between  the  figures  of  Justice  and  Truth.  His  actions  are 
weighed  in  a balance  with  the  ostrich  feather  of  Truth,  while 
a divine  scribe  notes  down  the  result,  and  a row  of  assess- 
ors look  on  from  above.  The  entrance  to  the  abode  of  the 
gods  is  guarded  by  Cerberus. 

Bunsen’s  account  of  a book  of  judgment  corresponds 
with  this  picture.  It  is  styled  “ The  Book  of  Deliverance 
in  the  Hall  of  the  twofold  Justice . This  title  indicates,  ac- 
cording to  Lepsius,  Justice,  distributor  of  reward  and  pun- 
ishment. The  contents,  are  the  divine  judgment  on  the 
deceased.  Forty-two  gods,  (the  number  composing  the 
earthly  tribunal  of  the  dead,)  occupy  the  judgment-seat. 
Osiris,  as  their  president,  bears  on  his  breast  the  small  tab- 
let of  chief  judge,  containing?  as  we  see  on  the  monuments, 
a figure  of  Justice  (Ma).  This  deity,  adorned  with  the 
ostrich  feather,  receives  him  on  his  arrival.  Before  him 
are  seen  the  scales  of  divine  judgment.  In  one  is  placed 
the  statute  of  divine  justice,  in  the  other  the  heart  of  the 
deceased,  who  stands  in  person  by  the  balance  containing 
his  heart,  while  Anubis  watches  the  other  scale.  Horus 
examines  the  plummet,  indicating  which  way  the  beam  pre- 
ponderates. Thoth,  the  justifier,  the  Lord  of  the  divine 
word,  records  the  sentence.”  * 

According  to  Herodotus,  “ the  Egyptians  were  the  first  to 
maintain  that  the  soul  of  man  is  immortal.”  There  is  abun- 


Egypt’s  Place,  etc.  vol.  1,  p.  27. 


DOCTRINE  OF  IMMORTALITY. 


213 


dant  evidence  of  this  belief  in  the  sculptures  on  the  tombs. 
But  the  tombs  themselves,  and  the  process  of  embalming  — 
which  could  not  have  been  a merely  sanatory  invention  — 
show  that  they  believed  also  in  the  indestructibility  of  the 
body.  The  Egyptians  styled  their  sepulchres  “ eternal  habi- 
tations, and  neglected  no  excess  of  magnificence  in  their 
construction  ; while  they  termed  the  dwellings  of  the  living 
inns,  to  be  inhabited  only  for  a limited  period,  and  paid  lit- 
tle attention  to  the  mode  of  building  or  ornamenting 
them.”  * 

They  believed,  that  after  a long  cycle  of  transmigration 
the  purified  soul  would  return  to  occupy  the  body,  and 
would' be  conscious  of  the  beauty  of  its  habitation.  Hence 
they  attached  so  much  importance  to  the  rites  of  sepulture, 
and  made  the  allowing  or  the  denying  these  to  the  dead 
a motive  to  virtue  in  the  living.  A brief  account  of  these 
rites,  borrowed  from  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson, f will  serve 
to  illustrate  this  belief,  and  its  practical  effect ; it  will  show 
also  how  closely  the  Greeks  copied  the  Egyptians  in  their 
mythology. 

“ The  body  having  been  embalmed,  was  restored  to  the 
family,  either  already  placed  in  the  mummy  case,  or  merely 
wrapped  in  bandages,  if  we  may  believe  Herodotus,  who 
says  the  friends  of  the  deceased  made  the  coffin ; though, 
from  the  paintings  in  the  tombs,  it  would  appear  that  the 
body  was  frequently  enveloped  and  put  into  the  case  by  the 
undertakers,  previous  to  its  being  returned  to  the  family. 
After  it  had  been  deposited  in  its  case,  which  was  generally 
inclosed  in  two  or  three  others,  all  richly  painted,  according 
to  the  expense  they  were  pleased  to  incur, 4 it  was  placed  in  a 
room  of  the  house  upright  against  the  wall,’  until  the  tomb 
was  ready,  and  all  the  necessary  preparations  had  been 


* Diodorus  in  Wilkinson. 


t Vol.  v.  p.  427. 


214 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


made  for  the  funeral.  The  coffin,  or  mummy-case,  was  then 
carried  forth  and  deposited  in  the  hearse,  drawn  upon  a 
sledge  as  already  described,  to  the  sacred  lake  of  the  nome ; 
notice  having  been  previously  given  to  the  judges,  and  a 
public  announcement  made  of  the  important  day.  Forty- 
two  judges  having  been  summoned,  and  placed  in  a semi- 
circle, near  the  banks  of  the  lake,  a boat  was  brought  up 
expressly  for  the  occasion,  under  the  direction  of  a boatman 
called  in  the  Egyptian  language,  Charon ; i and  it  is  from 
hence,’  says  Diodorus,  ‘ that  the  fable  of  Hades  is  said  to 
be  derived,  which  Orpheus  introduced  into  Greece.  For 
while  in  Egypt  he  had  witnessed  this  ceremony,  and  he 
imitated  a portion  of  it,  and  supplied  the  rest  from  his  own 
imagination.’ 

“When  the  boat  was  ready  for  the  reception  of  the 
coffin,  it  was  lawful  for  any  person  who  thought  proper,  to 
bring  forward  his  accusation  against  the  deceased.  If  it 
could  be  proved  that  he  had  led  an  evil  life,  the  judges  de- 
clared accordingly,  and  the  body  was  deprived  of  the  ac- 
customed sepulture;  but  if  the  accuser  failed  to  establish 
what  he  advanced,  he  was  subject  to  the  heaviest  penalties. 
When  there  was  no  accuser,  or  when  the  accusation  had 
been  disproved,  the  relations  ceased  from  their  lamentations, 
and  pronounced  encomiums  on  the  deceased.  They  did  not 
enlarge  upon  his  descent,  as  is  usual  among  the  Greeks,  for 
they  hold  that  all  Egyptians  are  equally  noble ; but  they 
related  his  early  education  and  the  course  of  his  studies ; 
and  then,  praising  his  piety  and  justice  in  manhood,  his 
temperance,  and  the  other  virtues  he  possessed,  they  suppli- 
cated the  gods  below  to  receive  him  as  a companion  of  the 
pious.  This  announcement  was  received  by  the  assembled 
multitude  with  acclamations,  and  they  joined  in  extolling 
the  glory  of  the  deceased,  who  was  about  to  remain  forever 
with  the  virtuous  in  the  regions  of  Hades.  The  body  was 


DOCTRINE  OF  IMMORTALITY. 


215 


then  taken  by  those  who  had  family  catacombs  already  pre- 
pared, and  placed  in  the  repository  allotted  to  it. 

“ Some,”  continues  the  historian,  “ who  were  not  possessed 
of  catacombs,  constructed  a new  apartment  for  the  purpose 
in  their  own  house,  and  set  the  coffin  upright  against  the 
firmest  of  the  walls ; and  the  same  was  done  with  the  bodies 
of  those  who  had  been  debarred  the  rites  of  burial  on  ac- 
count of  the  accusation  brought  against  them,  or  in  con- 
sequence of  debts  they  or  their  sons  had  contracted.  These 
last,  however,  if  their  children’s  children  happened  to  be 
prosperous,  were  released  from  the  impediments  of  their 
creditors,  and  at  length  received  the  ceremony  of  a magnifi- 
cent burial.  It  was,  indeed,  solemnly  established  in  Egypt 
that  parents  and  ancestors  should  have  a more  marked 
token  of  respect  paid  them  by  their  family,  after  they  had 
been  transferred  to  their  everlasting  habitations.  Hence 
originated  the  custom  of  depositing  the  bodies  of  their  de- 
ceased parents  as  pledges  for  the  payment  of  borrowed 
money ; those  who  failed  to  redeem  those  pledges  being  sub- 
ject to  the  heaviest  disgrace,  and  deprived  of  burial  after 
their  own  death. 

“ The  disgrace  of  being  condemned  at  this  public  ordeal 
was  in  itself  a strong  inducement  to  every  one  to  abstain 
from  crime  ; not  only  was  there  the  fear  of  leaving  a bad 
name,  but  the  dread  of  exposure ; and  we  cannot  refuse  to 
second  the  praises  of  Diodorus  in  favor  of  the  authors  of  so 
wise  an  institution.” 

Lepsius  was  impressed  with  the  fact,  that  “ the  desire  to 
labor  for  eternity  ” is  imprinted  upon  all  the  buildings  and 
monuments  of  ancient  Egypt;  and  says,  that  “the  belief 
which  was  early  formed  of  a life  after  death,  and  of  a re- 
lation continuing  to  subsist  between  the  soul  and  the  body, 
was  closely  connected  with  this.” 

To  this  must  we  attribute  the  extraordinary  pains  to 


216 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


secure  and  to  conceal  the  sarcophagus  within  the  tomb. 
44  They  ingeniously  closed  the  large  granite  sarcophagi  by 
means  of  metal  rods,  which  fell  down  into  the  holes  pre- 
pared for  them  in  the  sides  at  the  last  thrust  of  the  cover, 
which  was  driven  in  like  a drawer,  so  that  the  sarcophagi 
could  only  be  opened  by  the  destruction  of  the  colossal 
masses  of  stone.  They  also  endeavored  to  guard  even  the 
passage  which  led  to  the  sarcophagi  chambers  by  heavy 
stone  trap-doors,  and  by  ingeniously  building'  up  the  walls, 
so  as  to  divert  the  attention,  and  to  protect  them  in  every 
possible  way  from  inroad  and  desecration.” 

But  in  spite  of  these  precautions,  many  of  the  royal 
tombs  at  Thebes  were  opened  by  the  Persians,  their  treas- 
ures plundered,  their  sculptures  marred,  and  their  mummied 
tenants  exposed  to  insult  and  destruction.  This  rifling  of 
the  sacred  tenements  of  a conquered  people  was  repeated 
under  the  Greeks  and  the  Homans,  whose  writers  have  left 
us  some  account  of  the  tombs  that  were  open  in  their  day. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  Christian  era,  these  desecrated 
tombs  became  the  refuge  of  the  persecuted  saints  from  the 
cruelties  of  Diocletian ; and  in  some  of  them  the  rude  in- 
scriptions of  Christian  refugees  cover  the  splendid  sculptures 
of  priests  and  kings.  Again$  under  Constantine  and  The- 
odosius, these  dry  and  spacious  tombs  were  the  favorite 
cells  of  monks,  when  44  the  cities  of  Egypt  were  filled  with 
bishops,  and  the  deserts  of  Thebais  swarmed  with  hermits.” 
Since  the  Mahommedan  invasion,  the  Arabs  have  ran- 
sacked their  chambers  for  hidden  treasures,  and  the  Turks 
have  used  their  materials  for  common  building  purposes.  In 
modern  times,  the  antiquarian  has  taken  up  his  abode  in  the 
tombs,  while  prosecuting  his  researches.  Sir  Gardner  Wil- 
kinson constructed  a very  comfortable  house  by  erecting  a 
court,  and  a portico  in  front,  of  two  or  three  contiguous 
tombs,  which  furnished  a cool  retreat  from  the  heat  of  a 


DOCTRINE  OF  IMMORTALITY. 


217 


glaring  Theban  noon.  Here  the  English  scholar  transferred 
to  the  pages  of  present  history,  the  stone-engraved  annals 
of  the  past,  and  produced  a living  Egypt  from  her  tombs. 
Here,  too,  where  royal  festivals  are  pictured,  the  champagne 
and  hock  of  savans  and  travellers  flowed  freely,  while  the 
inspectors  of  mummies  “ hobnobbed  with  Pharaoh,  glass  to 
glass.”  Now,  the  tombs  are  the  refuge  of  the  villagers  from 
the  relentless  conscription,  or  the  permanent  abodes  of  guards 
appointed  by  the  government  to  protect  the  sculptures  from 
further  injury.  Men,  women,  and  children,  sheep,  goats, 
and  chickens,  are  huddled  together  in  dirty  straw  upon  the 
floors  of  these  royal  courts  of  the  dead.  The  traveller, 
resting  for  his  noontide  lunch,  is  besieged  by  mummy  vend- 
ers, who  unrolj  before  his  eyes  — perhaps  upon  his  very 
plate  — a head,  a hand,  a foot,  all  swathed  in  musty  cloth 
and  bitumen,  which  they  offer  at  any  price,  from  a pound 
sterling  to  a piastre. 

The  tombs,  that  the  pride  and  power  of  the  Pharaohs 
excavated  for  the  perpetual  abode  of  their  embalmed  bodies, 
and  that  the  religious  sentiment  of  ages  guarded  for  im- 
mortality, now  empty  and  desecrated,  the  lurking-places  of 
thieves  and  beggars,  look  forth  from  the  unchanging  moun- 
tains upon  the  ever-flowing  river  and  the  wide  spreading 
desert,  to  testify  that  God’s  works  only  shall  endure ; while 
the  fragments  of  their  illustrious  tenants  fill  every  museum 
of  Europe,  or  are  hawked  about  in  the  crumbling  temples 
and  the  deserted  necropolis  of  their  ancient  capital. 

“ Why  should  this  worthless  tegument  endure, 

If  its  undying  guest  be  lost  forever  ? 

Oh ! let  us  keep  the  soul  embalmed  and  pure 
In  living  virtue  — that  when  both  must  sever, 

Although  corruption  may  our  frame  consume, 

The  immortal  spirit  in  the  skies  may  bloom.” 

19 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


DISSOLVING  VIEWS  — PANORAMA  OF  KARNAC. 

In  order  to  a complete  view  of  Thebes,  past  and  pres- 
ent, one  should  reproduce  its  sculptured  story,  and  make 
it  witness  for  itself.  The  temple  of  Karnac , in  its  several 
parts,  marks  the  rise,  the  growth,  the  decline,  and  the  fall 
of  Egypt.  This  temple  had  a growth  of  twenty-five  hun- 
dred years,  from  a small  sanctuary  to  “ a city  of  temples.” 
Every  principal  era  of  the  national  history  is  represented  in 
this  stupendous  pile ; and  as  we  go  leisurely  around  it,  and 
translate  into  our  own  language,  or  vivify  into  present 
actual  scenes,  the  processions,  the  battles,  the  ceremonies, 
the  religious  offerings,  and  the  state  displays  sculptured  on 
its  walls  and  columns,  and  for  the  most  part  still  legible,  we 
behold  all  Egypt  move  before  us  as  in  a panorama,  whose 
scenes  and  actors  are  instinct  with  life.  This  animated  re- 
production of  the  sculptures  which  I attempted  when  on  the 
ground,  I would  hope  to  convey  to  the  reader  by  following 
in  course  the  histories  here  written  on  the  stone. 

I stood  in  Karnac,  under  the  light  of  the  full  moon.  It 
was  an  hour  for  silence,  and  we  enjoined  this  upon  each 
other,  and  gave  ourselves  to  solitary  musing.  The  cuckoo, 
that  had  wooed  us  with  his  note  as  we  reposed  under  the 
great  pillars  in  the  sultry  noon,  had  gone  to  nestle  with  his 
mate ; and  the  myriad  birds  that  by  day  had  fluttered  along 
the  corridors,  had  hid  themselves  in  the  crevices  of  the 
capitals.  Even  the  owl  that  hooted  as  we  entered,  was  still. 


APPROACH  TO  KARNAK. 


DISSOLVING  VIEWS. 


219 


Only  the  moon  was  there,  threading  the  avenues  with  silver 
footsteps,  and  holding  her  clear  light  that  we  might  read 
the  sculptured  chronicles  of  kings. 

We  sat  down  in  the  centre  of  the  grand  avenue.  Twelve 
majestic  pillars  on  either  hand  towered  along  its  length,  and 
seemed,  as  of  old,  to  support  an  arch  of  azure  studded  with 
stars.  The  dismantled  towers  of  the  grand  entrance, 
whose  bases  stand  like  pyramids  truncated  to  sustain  the 
firmament,  grew  more  gigantic  in  the  shadow  of  the 
columns,  while  their  once  massive  gates,  uncovered  by  the 
hand  of  time,  seemed  only  to  have  lifted  up  their  heads  to 
let  the  King  of  Glory  in.  In  the  avenue  that  crossed  besid® 
our  seat  — one  of  twelve,  having  each  ten  columns  of  huge 
dimensions  — at  either  extremity,  a column  had  fallen  cross- 
wise against  its  neighbor,  carrying  with  it  its  fragment  of 
the  stone  roof,  and  there  it  hung  almost  ethereal  in  the  still 
moonlight  — a symbol  of  the  struggle  between  man  and 
time.  Under  the  corridors,  darkness  brooded  over  the 
fragments  of  sculptured  stone ; but  beyond  the  other  portal, 
the  yet  perfect  obelisk  stood  in  pensive  majesty  among  its 
fallen  mates,  and  from  its  clear,  hard  face  projected  in  the 
moonbeams  the  symbols  of  the  power  that  built  these  halls, 
and  of  the  worship  that  sustained  them.  The  spell  of 
Egypt  was  complete.  For  two  months  I had  lived  under 
its  deepening  power.  At  length,  in  the  sepulchres  of  its 
kings,  and  on  the  walls  and  pillars  of  its  temples,  I had 
seen  the  Egypt  of  forty  centuries  revived  as  in  a panorama 
fresh  from  the  artist’s  pencil,  and  had  lived  in  the  Egypt 
that  the  Nile  then  watered,  as  in  the  so-called  Egypt  that  it 
waters  now.  And  here  I had  come  to  bid  it  farewell,  to 
take  a last  look  at  its  grave ; and  yet  the  witching  moonlight 
made  it  live  again.  The  breath  of  the  south  fanning  the 
columns  that  in  their  fourth  decade  of  centuries  wear  no 
ivied  wreath  of  age,  warmed  their  still  grandeur  into  life, 


220 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

and  with  Memnon’s  charm  they  sang  to  the  moon  the  great 
epic  of  the  Past.  As  I listened,  all  art,  all  learning,  all 
religion,  all  poetry,  all  history,  all  empire,  and  all  time 
swept  through  my  wondering  soul. 

Leaving  my  companions,  I wandered  over  the  fragments 
of  columns  and  sphinxes  and  colossi,  till,  gaining  a mound 
that  half  buries  the  front  area  of  the  temple,  I clambered 
up  the  steps  worn  by  age  in  its  stupendous  wall,  and  stand- 
ing in  their  foremost  tower,  looked  back  on  Karnac.  But 
no  change  of  place,  nor  sight  of  fallen  columns  and  decay- 
ing walls,  could  break  the  spell.  I had  walked  over  the 
grave  of  Egypt,  I had  stumbled  against  the  fragments  of  its 
sepulchre, — yet  Egypt  stood  before  me. 

First  came  the  second  son  of  Ham,  with  a long  retinue 
of  camels  and  of  servants,  lured  southward  by  the  fertile 
valley  of  the  Nile,  till,  where  the  mountains  widen  their 
embrace  around  the  well-watered  plain,  he  pitches  his  tent, 
and  founds  an  infant  city.  Generations  pass,  and  the  son 
who  in  this  plain  inherits  the  patriarchal  wealth  and  power, 
greedy  of  the  patrimony  of  his  brethren  to  the  north,  wages 
a fratricidal  war,  and  seizing  upon  all  Mizr  or  “ the  land  of 
Khem,”  effaces  from  it  the  name  of  his  ancestors,  and,  in- 
vesting it  with  his  own,  gives  Egypt,  (Copt  or  Gurt,)  a name 
and  a power  in  the  newly  divided  earth.  Other  genera- 
tions pass,  and  the  first  king  of  Egypt  comes  with  barbaric 
pomp,  from  the  capital  he  has  founded  at  the  north,  to  visit 
his  native  Theba,  the  real  “head”  or  capital,  and  here 
offers  to  its  divinity  the  rude  shrine  whose  traces  linger  be- 
hind yonder  obelisk. 

Ages  roll  on.  The  swelling  Nile  pours  out  increasing 
fatness  on  the  land.  The  earth  brings  forth  by  handfuls. 
Fat-fleshed,  well-favored  cattle  come  up  out  of  the  river 
and  feed  in  the  meadow.  There  is  great  plenteousness  for 
man  and  beast.  But  with  all  the  plenty  there  is  no  waste. 


PANORAMA  OF  KAENAC. 


221 


In  every  city  huge  granaries  are  built,  and  in  these  the 
grain  is  piled,  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  without  measure. 
There  is  a strange  wisdom  near  the  throne  of  Pharaoh. 
Again,  the  east  wind  blows,  and  the  scorching  sands  of  the 
Arabian  desert  are  heaped  upon  the  fertile  Nile.  In  the 
mountains  of  Ethiopia  there  is  no  rain.  The  river  shrinks 
away.  The  plain  of  Thebes  is  dry.  The  people  cry  for 
bread,  but  the  keys  of  the  great  storehouses  are  in  the  hand 
of  the  ruler  of  the  land.  They  bring  to  him  their  money ; 
they  bring  to  him  their  cattle ; they  sell  to  him  their  land ; 
they  sell  to  him  their  very  selves  for  bread.  Again,  the 
east  wind  ceases ; the  rains  fall,  the  river  rises ; the  desert 
retreats ; the  land  revives.  And  now  the  great  Pharaoh, 
whom  the  counsel  of  a captive  Jew  has  made  possessor  of 
all  the  treasure  and  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  moved  by  a relig- 
ious sentiment  but  half  enlightened,  would  make  a votive 
offering  to  his  god.  A fleet  of  barges  covers  the  bosom  of 
the  Nile,  which  with  waving  banners  and  gorgeous  emblems 
and  increasing  music,  have  borne  the  monarch  from  his 
northern  to  his  southern  capital. 

With  solemn  pomp  the  procession  of  priests  and  soldiers 
and  chief  officers  of  state,  with  the  uplifted  monarch  in  the 
midst,  files  from  the  river  to  the  rude  sanctuary  of  Menes , 
which  the  skill  of  masons  and  of  sculptors  has  already  sur- 
rounded with  columns  of  rich  red  granite,  and  chambers  of 
polished  stone,  and  with  colossal  statues  of  the  king  — the 
offering  he  brings  to  the  divinity,  whom  he  adores  as  the 
preserver  of  the  land ; and  while  the  monarch  bows  before 
the  god,  the  sound  of  trumpets,  and  the  fragrance  of  incense, 
and  the  chanting  of  the  priests,  announce  to  the  multitude 
that  Amun  accepts  the  gift,  and  will  be  henceforth  wor- 
shipped in  their  temple.  Osirtasen  the  Great  passes  away. 

The  ages  roll.  A native  Theban  usurps  the  throne  of 
the  northern  Pharaohs,  and  succeeds  to  the  power  they  had 
19* 


222 


EGYrT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


consolidated  through  the  counsel  of  the  Hebrew,  vouch- 
safed to  them  through  fourscore  years.  But  Joseph  is  dead ; 
embalmed  and  coffined  in  a royal  sarcophagus ; and  Amosis 
the  usurper  knows  him  not.  Oppression  fills  the  land,  and 
falls  most  heavily  upon  the  seed  of  Joseph. 

Another  Theban  Pharaoh  mounts  the  throne  ; and  to  pre- 
serve the  power  that  the  wisdom  of  a Hebrew  gave,  deter- 
mines to  cut  off  the  issue  of  the  Hebrews  from  the  land. 
Yet  in  his  own  house,  even  as  a son,  in  all  the  learning  of 
his  schools,  amid  all  the  splendors  of  his  court,  is  nurtured 
a young  Hebrew  who  yet  shall  desolate  the  land  that  Joseph 
blessed.  But  just  now  this  rising  terror  has  fled  into  the 
desert,  and  thev  first  Thothmes  comes  in  peaceful  pomp  to 
offer  to  the  divinity  of  Thebes  the  gigantic  obelisks  that 
bear  his  name.  He  plants  them  yonder  in  the  area  before 
the  sanctuary  of  Osirtasen. 

The  third  Thothmes  is  on  the  throne.  There  is  groaning 
throughout  the  land  of  Egypt ; there  is  deep  sorrow  in  the 
land  of  Goshen.  The  monarch  would  make  his  name  im- 
mortal by  the  temples,  the  palaces,  and  the  monuments  he 
rears  in  every  city,  from  the  Great  Sea  to  the  cataracts  of 
Nubia.  He  adorns  his  native  capital  upon  its  western  bank 
with  a new  sanctuary  added  to  the  temple  of  his  father,  and 
with  another  temple  inclosed  with  brick,  that  bear  in  hiero- 
glyphics his  own  initials;  and  here  at  Karnac,  he  builds 
behind  the  sanctuary,  a thousand  feet  from  where  I stand, 
the  grand  edifice  of  fifty  columns  that  surpasses  all  the 
royal  architecture  yet  seen  in  Thebes.  In  its  adytum  he 
enshrines  a colossal  figure  of  the  deified  hawk  that  he  wor- 
ships. He  is  the  great  architect  of  Egypt,  and  he  will  fill 
the  land  with  the  memorials  of  his  reign.  Heliopolis  and 
Noph,  Zoan  and  Sin,  attest  his  grandeur. 

But  the  voice  of  another  God  now  thunders  in  his  ear. 
The  exiled  Hebrew  has  returned.  The  land  is  filled  with 


PANORAMA  OF  KARNAC. 


223 


plagues  — frogs,  lice,  flies,  blood,  murrain,  hail,  locusts, 
darkness,  death.  The  king  has  gone  from  Thebes  to  Zoan, 
his  most  northern  seat, where  these  judgments  overtake  him. 
The  land  of  Goshen,  that  had  sweltered  under  his  exactions, 
breathes  more  freely,  and  he  lets  the  people  go.  But 
gathering  his  chariots  of  war  in  mad  haste,  he  pursues 
them,  and  hems  them  in  between  the  mountains  and  the  sea. 
Eager  for  his  prey,  he  plunges  into  the  channel  God  has 
made  for  them,  and  the  proud  architect  of  Egypt  returns 
not  even  to  occupy  the  gorgeous  tomb  he  had  prepared  for 
himself  at  Thebes. 

The  ages  roll  on,  and  a mighty  conqueror  sits  on  the 
throne  of  Egypt.  With  his  myriad  chariots  he  sweeps 
Ethiopia  on  the  south,  and  Canaan  on  the  north,  and  gather- 
ing all  the  forces  of  the  Nile,  he  shakes  Lebanon  with  his 
tread,  and  scatters  the  hosts  of  Syria  on  the  plains  of  the 
Euphrates.  And  now  there  is  an  unwonted  stir  in  Thebes. 
From  all  Egypt  the  priests  and  the  great  men  are.  gathered 
to  greet  the  conqueror’s  return.  In  the  distance,  amid  clouds 
of  infantry,  is  seen  the  chariot  of  the  king.  Bound  to  his 
chariot  wheels  are  the  captive  princes  he  has  taken  in  his 
wars.  Behind  him  are  his  son,  and  the  royal  scribe  who 
bears  the  record  of  his  victories.  A long  line  of  captives, 
bound  about  the  necks  with  cords,  follow  in  his  train.  The 
cortege  moves  from  temple  to  temple  through  the  city,  till  it 
reaches  that  of  Karnac.  Here,  alighting  from  his  chariot, 
the  monarch  enters  the  temple  of  Amunre,  to  present  his 
captives  and  booty  to  the  protecting  deity  of  Thebes ; then 
laying  his  captives  on  the  block,  with  a ponderous  club  he 
dashes  out  their  brains  as  a sacrifice  to  the  god,  and  amid 
the  acclamations  of  the  people,  is  borne  like  a god  to  his 
own  palace. 

And  now  the  conqueror,  reposing  on  his  laurels,  gives 
himself  to  the  work  of  enriching  the  capitol  with  new  and 


224 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


more  splendid  edifices  for  the  honor  of  its  divinities,  and 
the  commemoration  of  his  reign.  From  all  Egypt  are 
summoned  the  masons  and  sculptors,  the  painters  and  arti- 
ficers and  “cunning  workmen;”  and  the  army  that  had 
stormed  the  heights  of  Lebanon  now  levies  from  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Arabian  desert  their  tribute  of  limestone  and 
sandstone  and  granite  of  various  hues,  of  sienite  and  por- 
phyry and  alabaster,  to  construct  these  temples,  and  to  adorn 
these  avenues.  The  grand  hall  of  Karnac  rises  in  its 
majestic  proportions,  a fit  approach  to  the  sanctuary  of 
Amun.  Its  gates  lift  up  their  heads.  Its  tenfold  avenues 
rear  their  massive,  lofty,  graceful  pillars  — each  a single 
stone  hewn  into  a rounded,  swelling  shaft,  with  a wreathed 
or  flowered  capital  — and  with  their  roof  of  solid  stone, 
compose  the  portico  that  there  in  the  moonlight,  restored  to 
its  original  perfection,  stands  confessed  the  wonder  of  the 
world.  The  chisel  sculptures  on  its  walls  and  columns  the 
battle  scenes  of  the  king  and  his  offerings  to  the  god,  and 
the  name  of  Osirei  passes  into  history. 

His  son  succeeds  to  his  victories  and  to  his  glory.  For, 
on  the  far  off  plains  of  Asia,  the  great  Sesostris  breaks  the 
power  of  the  Assyrian  hosts,  and  leads  their  captive  chiefs 
in  chains.  Babylon  bows  to  Egypt.  There  is  another  day 
of  exultation  in  the  capital ; but  the  pomp  of  the  returning 
Osirei  pales  before  the  national  ovation  to'  his  son.  The 
priests,  in  their  sacred  vestments,  go  forth  to  meet  him, 
bearing  aloft  the  figures  of  his  illustrious  ancestors,  from 
Menes  to  Osirei.  The  king,  alighting  from  his  chariot, 
mounts  the. triumphal  car  prepared  for  his  reception,  whose 
fiery  steeds  are  led  by  liveried  grooms.  His  fan-bearers 
wave  the  flabella  over  his  head,  and  the  priests  and  the 
chief  men  of  the  nation  kneel  in  homage  at  his  throne. 
And  now  the  grand  procession  forms  to  enter  the  city. 
Trumpeters  herald  its  approach,  and  bands  of  music,  with 


PANORAMA  OP  KARNAC. 


225 


choristers,  form  the  van.  In  long  line  the  priests  and  offi- 
cers of  state  precede  the  monarch,  bearing  sceptres,  arms, 
and  other  insignia,  and  the  cushioned  steps  of  the  throne. 
The  statues  of  his  ancestors  head  the  royal  column,  and 
after  these  is  borne  a statue  of  the  god  upon  men’s  shoul- 
ders, under  a gilded  canopy.  The  sacred  bull,  adorned  with 
garlands,  is  led  by  members  of  the  sacerdotal  order.  The 
monarch  is  attended  by  his  scribes,  who  exhibit  proudly  the 
scroll  of  his  achievements.  Behind  his  car  are  dragged  the 
captives,  their  chained  hands  uplifted  for  mercy,  and  their 
cries  and  lamentations  mingling  wildly  with  the  bursts  of 
music  and  the  shouts  of  the  multitude.  These  are  followed 
by  the  spoils  of  war  — oxen,  chariots,  horses,  and  sacks  of 
gold ; and  beyond,  a corps  of  infantry  in  close  array,  flanked 
by  numerous  chariots,  bring  up  the  rear.  The  vast  throng 
sweep  from  temple  to  temple,  and  rend  the  air  with  acclama- 
tions. At  length  the  divinity,  that  had  been  taken  from  its 
shrine  to  welcome  the  victor,  is  brought  before  its  own  ady- 
tum. Here  the  high-priest  offers  incense  to  the  monarch, 
who,  in  turn,  alights  from  his  throne  and  burns  incense  to 
the  god.  And  now  the  horrid  sacrifice  of  war  is  made  to 
the  patron  deity.  The  wretched  captives  are  beaten  in  the 
presence  of  the  king ; their  right  hands  are  cut  off,  and 
being  counted  by  the  scribes,  are  retained  as  trophies : their 
persons  are  horribly  mutilated ; their  heads  are  severed  by 
the  sword  or  mangled  by  the  mace,  and  the  gorgeous,  bar- 
barous scene  is  closed. 

There  is  peace  in  Egypt ; and  the  king  builds,  on  yonder 
western  bank,  the  majestic  and  beautiful  Memnonium, 
covers  its  walls  with  the  story  of  his  victories,  and  sets 
before  its  gate  the  stupendous  statue  of  himself,  the  symbol 
of  the  grandeur  and  the  power  of  Egypt,  enthroned  in  a 
sublime  and  an  immortal  repose.  He  builds  the  vast  area 
of  Luxor,  with  its  massive  gates  and  towers before  these 


226 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


plants  colossal  statues  of  himself  and  lofty  obelisks,  and 
lines  with  huge  symbolic  sculptures  the  avenue  to  Karnac. 
Here  he  lays  up  before  the  shrine  of  Amun  — as  depicted 
on  the  walls  — a gorgeous  barge  overlaid  with  gold  without, 
and  with  silver  within,  a tribute  from  the  spoils  of  war. 
He  enriches  the  walls  of  the  grand  hall  by  adding  to  the 
sculptured  story  of  his  father’s  reign  the  battle  scenes  of  his 
own ; and  before  the  portico  constructs  this  area  of  a 
hundred  thousand  square  feet,  surrounded  with  its  covered 
corridor,  and  adorned  with  sphinxes  and  a central  avenue 
of  tufted  columns,  and  faced  with  these  stupendous  towers. 
He  throws  around  the  whole  a massive  wall,  and  Karnac 
stands  complete  in  the  glory  of  the  great  Rameses. 

Then  follows  the  resplendent  dynasty  of  all  the  Osirei 
and  the  Rameses,  and  Egypt  culminates  to  its  meridian 
splendor.  Her  schools  rise  with  her  temples,  and  the  epic 
bard  of  Scio  sings  the  Hundred  Gates  of  Thebes,  while  the 
priests  and  the  philosophers  of  young  Greece  resort  to  the 
Mother  of  Mythology  and  of  Letters,  and  Grecian  sculptors 
come  to  study  the  forms  and  creations  of  the  Mother  of  Art. 
The  king  of  Israel,  whose  fame  for  wisdom  and  for  wealth 
is  known  in  all  the  earth,  woos  the  daughter  of  the  king 
of  Egypt,  and  she  whom  “ the  sun  had  looked  upon  ” on  the 
confines  of  Ethiopia,  shines  in  the  golden  palace  at  Jeru- 
salem, “ beautiful  as  Tirzeh,  and  comely  as  the  tents  of 
Kedar.” 

But  again  the  hosts  of  Egypt  are  marshalled  for  battle ; 
again  they  sweep  the  borders  of  the  north ; again  is  heard 
the  shout  of  victory;  again  Thebes  is  astir  for  the  con- 
queror’s return.  Now  Shishak  brings  to  the  temple  of 
Amun  the  treasures  of  the  house  of  Jehovah  at  Jerusalem; 
the  golden  shields  of  Solomon,  and  the  treasures  of  the  pal- 
ace he  had  built.  Twelve  hundred  chariots,  and  sixty 
thousand  horsemen,  and  footmen  without  number,  swell  the 


PANORAMA  OF  KARNAC. 


227 


train  of  the  victorious  king.  Nailing  the  heads  of  his 
wretched  captives  to  the  block  of  the  executioner,  he  whets 
his  sword  to  sacrifice  them  to  the  god ; and  the  blood  of 
Israel  once  more  cries  to  God  from  the  land  of  Egypt. 

From  afar  the  voice  of  the  prophet  speaks  the  answer  of 
Jehovah  to  that  cry,  “ Behold,  I am  against  Pharaoh  king 
of  Egypt,  and  will  break  his  arms  ; — and  I will  cause  the 
sword  to  fall  out  of  his  hand.  Howl  ye ; woe,  woe  the 
day!  For  the  day  is  near,  even  the  day  of  the  Lord  is 
near,  a cloudy  day.  The  sword  shall  come  upon  Egypt ; 
and  the  pride  of  her  power  shall  come  down.” 

Again  a mighty  host,  sweeping  from  the  north,  hovers 
upon  the  plain  of  Thebes.  The  idols  are  moved  in  their 
temples,  the  cry  of  the  people  is  in  the  streets.  But  it  is 
not  now  the  return  of  her  victorious  king  that  stirs  the 
royal  city.  The  great  ram  from  the  plains  of  Persia, 
pushing  westward  and  southward,  gores  Egypt  with  his 
horns,  overthrows  her  temples  and  her  statues,  treads 
* Memnon  and  Raineses  in  the  dust,  drinks  up  the  river  and 
devours  the  valley.  There  is  sorrow  and  groaning  in  the 
land  of  Egypt  for  a hundred  years,  when  lo!  again  the 
dust  of  mighty  hosts  sweeps  from  the  north.  The  he-goat 
from  the  west,  moved  with  choler  at  the  ram,  that  drinks  up 
the  great  rivers,  rushes  upon  him  in  the  fury  of  his  power, 
and  casts  him  down  and  stamps  upon  him.  The  Persian 
conqueror  of  Thebes  retires  before  the  Macedonian  con- 
queror of  Persia. 

Greece,  though  a conqueror,  pays  homage  to  Egypt  as 
her  mistress.  New  cities  are  built;  temples  and  monu- 
ments are  restored.  Upon  the  plain  of  Thebes,  new  works 
of  art  unite  the  sculptured  records  of  the  Ptolemies  with 
the  broken  tablets  of  the  Pharaohs.  Karnac  itself  opens 
new  portads,  and  revives  its  ancient  splendor.  Again  the 
schools  of  Egypt  are  visited  from  Greece.  And  where 


228 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Homer  drank  his  inspiration,  and  Herodotus  pored  over 
the  hieroglyphics  and  the  papyrus  records  and  the  dim  tra- 
ditions of  the  then  old  worjd,  Plato  comes  to  ponder  the 
great  mysteries  of  the  soul’s  existence,  and  its  relations  to 
the  Infinite. 

But  the  doom  of  Egypt  is  not  yet  fulfilled.  Her  resur- 
rection cannot  now  come.  The  gigantic  horn  that  sweeps 
the  stars,  trails  the  young  Egypt  of  Alexander  in  the  dust. 

Again  she  lifts  her  head  and  woos  her  conqueror  to 
repose  awhile  in  the  lap  of  luxury.  Beauty  usurps  the 
dominion  of  power ; and  the  golden  barge  of  Cleopatra 
sweeps  up  the  Nile  with  silken  sails  perfumed  with 
sweetest  odors,  or  moves  with  silver  oars  attuned  to  the  soft 
melody  of  lutes.  Rome  adds  her  tamer  art  to  the  great 
majesty  of  Egypt,  and  restores  yet  further  what  the  Persian 
had  destroyed.  Yet  Egypt  may  not  rise. 

A new  power  enters  to  possess  the  land.  Under  the 
Roman  name,  the  religion  that  had  visited  the  land  with 
Abraham,  with  Joseph,  and  with  Moses,  comes  to  enshrine 
itself  in  these  old  temples,  emptied  of  their  gods  and 
broken  in  their  forms.  The  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  to 
the  God  of  Israel  is  heard  in  the  temple  built  by  their  op- 
pressor, and  the  name  of  the  infant  whom  Egypt  sheltered,  is 
spoken  with  reverence  and  adoration  in  all  her  holy  places. 
Yonder,  in  the  farthest  temple  of  this  mighty  pile,  a Christian 
church  assembles ; there,  in  the  court  of  Luxor,  stands  another 
Christian  altar,  while,  across  the  river,  the  colonnade  of 
Medeenet  Habou  encompasses  the  lesser  columns  of  a 
Christian  temple  built  within  its  folds.  But  the  spirit  of 
the  old  temple  lingers  in  its  form,  and  with  it  embraces  the 
new.  Again  the  liveried  priests  march  through  the  corri- 
dors, bearing  mysterious  symbols,  and  chanting  unknown 
strains.  Again  the  pomp  of  state  is  blended  with  the  pomp 
of  worship,  and  the  pictured  saint  but  plasters  over  the 


PANORAMA  OF  KARNAC, 


229 


sculptured  deity.  The  religion  and  the  empire  of  Rome  are 
alike  effete,  and  can  give  no  life  to  Egypt. 

Barbaric  hordes  from  the  east  pour  in  upon  the  land,  and 
sweep  these  both  away.  The  sword  of  the  Moslem,  hacking 
the  plastered  walls,  writes  there  in  blood  the  forgotten 
truth,  There  is  one  God,  though  it  add  thereto  the  stupen- 
dous lie,  that  makes  the  other  cardinal  of  his  religion.  The 
wild  man  of  the  desert  pitches  his  tent  upon  the  plain 
wrhere  Mizraim  halted  centuries  before,  or  hides  himself 
under  the  cover  of  broken  tombs  and  temples.  He  hardly 
moves'  from  his  retreat,'  when  the  imperious  Turk,  his 
brother  Moslem,  proclaims  himself  master  of  Egypt  and 
Arabia  by  the  will  of  God.  No ; here  sits  the  Arab  on 
this  luxurious  plain,  among  these  crumbling  giants  of  the 
past,  startled  at  his  own  shadow,  without  the  spirit  to  fight 
either  for  himself  against  his  tyrant,  or  for  his  country 
in  that  tyrant’s  service.  Here  he  sits,  where  Osirei  and 
Rameses  and  Shishak  have  chronicled  their  names  and 
deeds  beside  their  own  gigantic  portraits.  Here  he  sits, 
where  moved  in  royal  state  the  conqueror  of  Ethiopia,  of 
Judah,  of  Syria,  and  of  Babylon.  Here  he  sits,  where  the 
fierce  Cambyses  dealt  his  retribution;  where  Alexander 
moved  with  a pomp  that  none  but  he  could  boast ; where 
Caesar  followed  in  the  train  of  mighty  men  — yet  owned  the 
greater  might  of  woman.  Here  he  sits  — 11  faut  descendre , 
said  my  guide,  who  had  tortured  his  Arabic  gutturals  into 
a rude  F rench,  il  faut  descendre  — it  is  necessary  to  go 
down.  II  faut  descendre,  repeated  I,  as  I looked  over  upon 
the  tombs  of  the  kings,  all  drear  and  ghostly  in  the  moon- 
light ; &nd  looked  where  Memnon  stood,  and  all  was  (Jesolate ; 
and  looked  toward  Luxor,  where  the  moonlight  stole  faintly 
through  its  broken  towers ; and  turned  and  looked  at  Karnac, 
as  the  meridian  moon  now  shone  upon  heaps  of  rubbish,  and 
broken  columns,  and  crumbling  walls;  II  faut  descendre, 
20 


230 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


It  must  go  down  ; and,  turning  to  descend,  I stumbled 
over  an  Arab  hovel,  plastered  upon  the  very  top  of  the  tower 
of  Sesostris,  and  heard  the  yelping  of  the  dogs  from  the 
huts  that  bury  the  side  temple  of  the  conqueror  of  Babylon. 
The  spell  was  broken ; and  Egypt  was  a dream. 

Riding  back,  amid  barking  dogs  and  shivering  shrinking 
Arabs,  over  the  dusty  plain  to  Luxor,  I laid  down  upon  the 
divan  where,  two  months  before,  I had  dreamed  of  Egypt, 
when,  entering  the  Nile,  I felt  her  resistless  spell.  But  no 
dream  of  Egypt  came.  Egypt  herself  had  vanished.  As 
A DREAM  AVHEN  ONE  AWAKETH,  SO,  0 LORD,  WHEN  THOU 
AWAKEDST,  THOU  DIDST  DESPISE  HER  IMAGE. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


A CHAPTER  OF  ITEMS PARTING  FROM  THEBES GET- 
TING NEWS THE  SIROCCO EMIGRATION INAUGU- 

RATION DAY. 

“I've  pretty  much  concluded  up  my  mind,”  that  that 
nineteenth  century  of  which  I used  to  hear  so  much,  ages 
ago,  in  a remote  corner  of  the  world  where  I then  resided, 
was  a decided  humbug.  Here,  where  the  world  is  certainly 
old  enough  to  know  its  own  age,  and  to  keep  the  reckoning 
of  centuries,  I can’t  find  anybody  that  has  even  heard  of  it. 
The  people,  living  in  these  parts,  are  all  so  many  moons  old, 
and  their  great  events  are  measured  from  the  Hegira,  the 
time  when  Mohammed  ran  away  from  Mecca,  about  twelve 
hundred  years  ago.  They  have  never  heard  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  yet  they  seem  to  be  an  easy,  contented 
sort  of  people,  quite  happy  in  .their  way,  and  the  more 
“ knowing  ” among  them  feel  quite  above  any  visitors  from 
the  nineteenth  century  aforesaid.  I have  inquired  of  the 
“ oldest  inhabitant  ” in  this  village  of  Thebes,  a very  elderly 
and  venerable  gentleman,  who  sits  out  of  doors  sunning 
himself  in  a great  stone  chair,  with  his  hands  on  his  knees,  — 
but  though  he  is  said  to  have  spoken  to  the  sun  every 
morning  for  thirty-three  centuries,  I can’t  get  out  of  him 
that  he  knows  any  such  character.  Once,  I thought  he 
winked  blandly  toward  Karnac,  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  where  are  recorded  all  the  dynasties  since  the  flood, 
and  going  there,  I found  some  marks  on  the  wall  that  may 


232 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


be  understood  to  refer  to  the  nineteenth  century ; but 
instead  of  A.  d.  it  was  b.  c.,  and  these  two  intervening 
letters  of  the  chronological  alphabet  involved  me  in  the  laby- 
rinth of  an  interminable  antiquity.  The  fact  is,  there  is 
no  nineteenth  century  here. 

I believe ‘that  fictitious  character  used  to  pride  itself  upon 
steamboats,  railroads,  magnetic  telegraphs,  cheap  postage, 
and  penny  newspapers;  and  it  had  so  imposed  upon  my 
youthful  fancy,  that  I once  imagined  these  among  the  neces- 
saries of  fife.  But  I do  aver  that  this  was  all  a humbug.  ' 
I haven’t  heard  of  any  such  inventions  since  a day  when 
the  memory  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  and  yet 
am  not  only  alive,  but  as  happy  as  possible,  without  the 
least  sense  of  privation  from  the  absence  of  these  “ necessa- 
ries.” 

What  need  of  steamboats,  when  one  can  make  the  voyage 
of  six  hundred  miles,  from  Alexandria  to  Thebes,  in  less 
than  forty  days,  in  a boat  dragged  and  poled  along  just  as 
the  great  Osirtasen’s  was,  when  Joseph’s  forethought  made 
him  master  of  all  the  soil,  and  he  came  up  here  from  “ On  ” 
to  build  a sanctuary?  No  doubt  his  prime  minister  voy- 
aged up  the  Nile  in  just  such  a dahabeeh  as  is  sculptured 
on  the  walls  of  these  temples  and  tombs,  when  he  went 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  over  which  he  had  been 
made  a prince. 

As  to  railroads,  of  what  use  would  such  things  be,  where 
no  roads  at  all  are  wanted  ? If  a camel  and  a donkey, 
without  bridle  or  stirrups,  were  good  enough  for  the  Father 
of  the  Faithful,  when  he  came  to  Egypt,  they  are  good 
enough  for  any  of  his  children.  Of  the  telegraph,  it  is 
enough  to  show  the  absurdity  of  this  boasted  invention,  to 
observe,  that  in  this  land  of  sublime  repose  there  is  nothing 
to  be  telegraphed,  and  nowhere  to  telegraph  it  to.  We 
need  no  cheap  postage  when  there  are  no  mails,  and  as  for 


i 


PARTING  FROM  THEBES. 


233 


penny  newspapers,  we  disdain  to  read  any  tiling  of  less 
solidity  than  an  obelisk,  or  “ later  ” and  cheaper  than  the 
papyrus  rolls,  filched  by  Arabs  from  the  sarcophagi  of 
kings. 

O Nineteenth  Century ! 

It  was  with  feelings  of  sadness  that  we  took  our  departure 
from  Thebes.  We  had  there  studied  Egypt  in  its  history 
and  in  its  monuments,  till  they  had  become  as  household 
things.  From  its  gigantic  ruins  we  had  reconstructed  the 
City  of  the  Hundred  Gates ; from  the  devices  on  its  tombs, 
we  had  reproduced  the  old  Egyptian  life ; and  almost  as 
familiarly  as  we  walk  Broadway,  we  had  walked  admiringly 
the  streets  of  Thebes,  just  as  they  were 

“ Three  thousand  years  ago, 

When  the  Memnonium  was  in  all  its  glory; 

And  time  had  not  begun  to  overthrow 
Those  temples,  palaces,  and  piles  stupendous, 

Of  which  the  very  ruins  are  tremendous.” 

We  had  discovered 


“ What  secret  melody  was  hidden 
In  Memnon’s  statue,  that  at  sunrise  played.” 

We  had  handled  the  fine  linen  of  Egypt,  and  its  papyrus 
scrolls ; and  had  compelled  the  haughty  Pharaoh  of  the 
Exodus  to  sit  for  his  portrait  in  plain  brown  paper.  We 
had  lost  ourselves  in  the  dim  and  sombre  silence  of  pre- 
historic ages.  But  with  the  season  advancing,  the  river 
falling,  and  the  desert  and  Palestine  to  be  traversed,  we 
must  not  linger.  As  we  turned  away  from  Thebes  to  look 
again  upon  the  mud  villages  of  the  Nile,  we  passed  at  once 
from  the  grandeur  of  the  Pharaohs  to  the  basest  of  the 
kingdoms,  where,  amid  the  unparalleled  fertility  of  nature, 
and  the  unrivalled  monuments  of  antiquity,  there  is  found  no 
recuperative  energy,  no  advancing  civilization,  but  continual 
20* 


234 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


deterioration  and  decay.  The  grave  of  old  Egypt  is  a place 
for  solemn  thought.  Wheat  and  barley  grow  over  the 
buried  capital,  and  the  slow-creaking  sakia  sings  its  requiem. 
But  more  oppressive  is  the  living  death  around. 

News  / Neivs  / Even  as  I have  seen  a hearse-man  drive 
rollicking  back  from  Greenwood,  smoking  his  cigar  and 
whipping  his  horses  into  a gallop,  no  sooner  did  we  turn  our 
backs  upon  the  sombre  necropolis  of  the  Past,  than  we 
plunged  again  into  the  dashing  excitements  of  the  present. 
While  going  up  the  river,  knowing  that  our  backs  were 
turned  upon  the  living  world,  and  that  we  could  not  by  any 
possibility  get  intelligence  of  any  thing  transpiring  in  Europe 
or  America,  we  put  on  a studied  indifference  to  events  there 
occurring,  and  gave  ourselves  up  to  the  sluggish  influences  of 
climate  and  association  in  the  land  of  sublime  repose.  But 
our  prow  once  headed  for  the  Mediterranean,  the  electric 
influence  of  modern  civilization  thrilled  our  inactive  nerves, 
and  we  who  had  lived  so  long  without  letters  or  newspapers 
as  to  cease  to  plan  for  them,  were,  of  a sudden,  all  agog  for 
news. 

The  only  way  to  get  news  on  the  Nile,  is  by  hailing  boats 
that  are  coming  up  from  Cairo  with  later  dates.  As  soon 
as  a boat  is  descried  with  the  flag  of  any  European  nation, 
the  gun  is  made  ready  for  a salute,  and  a favorable  position 
is  selected  for  hailing.  Commonly  one  of  two  passing  boats, 
and  sometimes  both,  will  be  going  — one  with  the  current, 
the  other  with  the  wind  — at  a rate  that  admits  only  of  the 
exchange  of  salutations  and  good  wishes. 

News  was  in  great  demand  from  us  as  we  went  up  the 
river;  and  we  split  our  throats  in  telling  all  Englishmen  of 
the  Aberdeen  ministry,  until  we  found  that  this  news  had 
gone  before  us  by  some  faster  boat  that  had  passed  us  in 
the  night.  One  hearty  Englishman  joined  us  in  nine  cheers 
for  “ England  and  the  United  States,  Progress  and  Reform.” 
We  had  kindly  greetings  with  several  Americans. 


GETTING  NEWS THE  SIROCCO. 


235 


Going  down  the  river,  it  was  our  turn  to  call  for  news. 
<£  The  Emperor  Napoleon  is  — ,”  shouted  an  English  gen- 
tleman, as  we  passed  on  the  wings  of  the  wind.  I ran 
to  the  stern  and  begged  him  to  repeat  the  last  word.  Raising 
his  hands  to  his  mouth,  like  a trumpet,  he  cried  “ The  — 
emperor  — Napoleon  — is  — ” but  again  the  wind  caught 
the  one  important  word,  and  left  us  in  doubt  whether 
he  was  crowned  as  he  expected,  or  hung  as  he  deserved. 
For  two  days  we  discussed  the  probabilities  of  a revolution 
in  France,  a war  with  England,  a general  European  war, 
and  settled  the  fate  of  empires.  Another  boat  came  in 
sight.  “ What  news  from  France  ? ” I cried.  “ The  Emperor 
is  — married  ! ” 

Wailing,  wailing,  wailing ! Let  us  go  ashore  to  yonder 
village.  A mother  has  lost  her  son  ; he  is  to  be  buried  in  a 
neighboring  village,  and  the  women  from  that  have  come 
to  mourn.  Their  doleful  chant  is  accompanied  with  the 
beating  of  the  tambour  and  the  cymbal,  and  they  dance  in  a 
circle,  jerking  their  bodies  violently,  and  slapping  their 
cheeks  with  their  hands,  till  they  sink  down  exhausted. 
This  is  repeated  at  every  street,  till  they  have  made  the 
circuit  of  the  village.  It  seems  rather  a set  and  mechanical 
mourning,  — possibly  on  the  part  of  some  it  is  professional. 
Only  women  have  part  in  it,  and  they  take  turns  in  leading 
the  rude,  indecorous  dance,  and  vie  with  each  other  in  dis- 
figuring their  countenances  and  persons,  in  the  violence  of 
their  gesticulations,  and  in  the  noise  and  the  continuance  of 
their  cries.  The  whole  scene  brings  forcibly  to  remembrance 
the  “ mourning  women  ” spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures ; but 
there  is  less  of  heart  grief  apparent  here  than  in  the  first 
mourning  scene  I witnessed  on  the  Nile. 

The  Sirocco  ! Wind  is  a tremendous  agent  on  the  Nile. 
Boats  can  do  nothing  against  it,  even  in  descending  the  river 
with  the  current.  Sometimes  it  blows  furiously  for  days  and 


236 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


nights,  lashing  the  river  into  a sea.  Then  one  must  lie  by, 
and  seek  relief  from  the  rocking  boat  upon  the  dusty  bank. 
Sometimes  a sudden  flaw,  whirling  over  the  mountains, 
threatens  to  capsize  the  boat  in  the  angry  stream.  Once, 
when  under  full  sail,  the  reis  suddenly  ordered  all  to  be 
made  fast,  and  the  boat  to  be  lashed  to  with  double  hawsers. 
Looking  back,  I saw  the  sky  red  and  angry.  In  an  instant 
the  whole  horizon  was  filled  with  sand,  that  poured  over  the 
river* and  darkened  its  current;  huge  spiral  whirlwinds  of 
sand  sped  like  flying  giants  over  the  plain;  the  waves 
->  dashed  fiercely  against  the  boat ; the  sand  choked  our  nos- 
trils ; gloom  and  wrath  brooded  over  the  stifled  earth,  until 
the  storm  of  wind  swept  by. 

Emigration . It  is  fortunate  for  Egypt,  and  perhaps  for 
America  too,  that  the  two  countries  are  not  in  such  close 
proximity  as  Ireland  and  the  United  States,  with  the  same 
facilities  for  emigration.  Egypt  would  be  pretty  much 
emptied  of  her  population  in  a year.  TTe  have  had  pro- 
posals to  emigrate,  from  the  Mohammedan  sheik  of  a vil- 
lage, from  a soldier  of  the  Pasha’s  army,  from  Copt  Chris- 
tians whose  sons  had  just  been  impressed  for  military  service, 
from  workmen  in  various  departments  of  labor,  from  donkey 
boys,  and  from  several  of  our  crew.  Hassan , in  particular, 
volunteered  to  go  to  America,  and  were  it  not  for  his  family 
we  should  certainly  take  him,  in  the  hope  that,  when 
thoroughly  educated  under  Gospel  influences,  he  might  re- 
turn for  some  useful  missionary  service  in  his  native  land. 
He  is  a whole-souled  man;  of  decided  character,  of  deep 
sincerity,  of  good  intellect,  of  childlike  simplicity,  and  of 
warm  affections.  He  has  heard  me  speak  of  America  and 
its  institutions  till  he  he  quite  burns  to  go. 

Once  I told  him  he  could  not  bear  cold  and  snow ; he  re- 
plied by  wrapping  his  woollen  sack  around  him,  and  motion- 
ing the  transfer  of  my  boots  to  his  bare  feet.  I told  him  he 


INAUGURATION  DAY.  237 

must  work  very  hard  ; with  his  brawny  arm  he  imitated  the 
action  of  digging  with  a spade.  I named  other  difficulties, 
till  he  said,  “ you  are  trying  to  make  it  hard,  because  you 
don’t  want  me  to  go ; ” but  when  I told  him  it  would  cost 
ten  thousand  piastres  to  transport  him  and  his  family  to 
America,  he  looked  upon  it  as  a hopeless  case,  and  said, 
“that  was  enough  to  ruin  anybody.”  On  the  subject  of 
religion,  he  said,  that  if  there  were  no  mosques  in  America, 
“ he  could  go  into  his  room  and  pray  alone.”  It  is  a pity 
that  such  a man  cannot  be  qualified  by  education,  as  he  is  by 
nature,  and  we  might  well  expect  would  be  by  grace,  to  do 
good  among  his  own  people. 

The  evangelization  of  Africa  is  a great  problem,  that  de- 
mands the  attention  of  the  Christian  church.  I cannot  see 
how  the  deportation  in  mass  of  newly  emancipated  slaves, 
crude,  ignorant,  rampant  with  liberty,  would  tend  to  solve  it. 

March  4th.  Inauguration  day.  The  following  sketch  of 
a bit  of  patriotism  and  of  pleasantry,  may  serve  to  illustrate 
the  simple  manners  of  the  boatmen  of  the  Nile,  and  the  ex- 
pedients for  relieving  the  tedium  of  the  voyage.  It  is  given 
verbatim  as  it  was  written  at  the  time ; but,  in  view  of  the 
pro-slavery  tendencies  of  the  Administration  since  devel- 
oped, some  of  its  language  seems  almost  prophetic. 

“ My  country,  ’t  is  of  thee, 

Sweet  land  of  liberty, 

Of  thee  I sing.” 

Albeit  in  all  the  domestic  concerns  of  the  bark  “ Lotus,” 
we  have  acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  our  Lady  Queen, 
and  have  been  daily  fed  of  “ her  royal  bounty,”  we  could 
not  forget  on  this  day,  that  we  were  born  republicans,  and 
have  the  deepest  interest  in  the  prosperity  and  the  perpe- 
tuity of  free  institutions.  Though  differing  in  political  senti- 
ments, and,  while  in  no  sense  partisans,  perhaps,  repre- 


238 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


senting  three  shades  of  .political  parties  in  the  United 
States,  we  are  one  in  the  love  of  our  common  country,  one 
in  regard  for  her  noble  Constitution,  one  in  gratitude  for  her 
existence  and  her  history,  one  in  the  hope  of  her  future 
greatness,  and  one  in  prayers  for  her  preservation  in  right- 
eousness and  in  true  glory.  We  see  in  her  no  evil  that 
may  not  be  rectified,  no  wrong  that  may  not  be  retrieved, 
by  the  simple  force  of  public  sentiment,  enlightened  and 
sanctified  through  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Her  constellation 
has  its  fixed  place  in  the  firmament,  and  whatever  mists 
now  dim  its  lustre  shall  be  scattered,  and  the  pure  light  of 
Liberty,  of  Justice,  and  of  Truth  concentred  there,  shall 
shine  upon  the  nations  till  the  end  of  time.  I can  hardly 
say  that  the  love  of  country  has  been  increased  by  a separa- 
tion of  almost  a year,  for  it  has  ever  been  one  of  the  strong- 
est, deepest  feelings  of  the  soul ; but  the  privilege  of  citi- 
zenship in  such  a country  is  more  vividly  appreciated  by 
contrast  with  the  condition  of  subjects  in  other  lands ; and 
the  solicitude  for  her  welfare  is  rendered  more  solemn,  more 
prayerful,  more  intense,  by  the  survey  of  the  field  of  em- 
pires, that  with  all  their  wealth,  and  commerce,  and  art, 
and  learning,  and  power,  perished  through  their  forgetful- 
ness of  God. 

Though  probably  but  one  of  us  would  have  given  his 
suffrage  to  the  Chief  Magistrate  just  elected  by  the  people, 
and  though  some  of  us  are  not  without  forebodings  of  evil 
to  the  cause  of  freedom,  from  an  administration  understood 
to  be  so  far  committed  to  the  behests  of  the  only  faction 
from  which  our  Union  has  cause  to  fear,  — the  faction  that, 
contrary  to  the  whole  spirit  of  the  Constitution,  and  the 
known  intentions  of  its  framers,  would  extend  and  perpetu- 
ate slavery  by  the  national  arm;  yet  we  unite  with  one 
voice  in  the  desire,  that  he  who  this  day  assumes  the  presi- 
dential office  may  be  preserved  and  blessed  in  the  adminis- 


INAUGURATION  DAY. 


239 


tration  of  its  duties,  and  may  prove  an  honor  and  a blessing 
to  the  nation. 

Besides  this  more  serious  view  of  the  occasion,  we  felt 
that  it  demanded  some  formal  demonstration  on  our  part,  as 
American  citizens.  Accordingly,  at  twelve  o’clock,  the 
American  flag  was  run  up  to  the  topmast,  the  gun  was  fired, 
and  three  cheers  were  given,  in  which  the  whole  crew,  who 
had  been  instructed  as  to  the  ceremonial,  most  heartily 
joined.  The  senior  member  of-  our  party  was  then  duly 
invested  with  the  office  and  honors  of  the  presidency,  and 
sworn  to  maintain  the  Constitution.  Brief  speeches  fol- 
lowed, another  round  of  cheers,  and  that  indispensable  cli- 
max to  all  great  occasions  of  state  — a good  dinner.  The 
new  incumbent  bore  his  honors  well,  and  formed  his  cabinet 
with  wisdom  and  impartiality.  Even  “ women’s  rights  ” 
were  respected,  without  the  agency  of  petitions,  conven- 
tions, and  platform  speeches. 

Several  of  the  crew  testified  their  approbation  of  our 
mode  of  making  a “ Sultan,”  and  their  confidence  in  the 
excellence  and  stability  of  the  new  administration,  by  offer- 
ing to  go  home  with  us  to  America.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
one  of  the  youngest  will  be  retained  permanently  in  the 
service  of  our  new  created  president. 

This  little  bit  of  pleasantry,  while  it  relaxed  brains  and 
muscles  that  had  been  overtaxed  with  sight-seeing  at  Thebes, 
and  while  it  gave  diversion  to  our  simple-hearted  crew,  de- 
tracted nothing  from  that  serious  and  earnest  feeling  with 
which  we  hailed  another  quadrennial  anniversary  in  our 
constitutional  existence.  Nor  on  this  day  only  is  such  a 
feeling  present,  but  always  and  everywhere,  we  remember 
the  land  of  our  birth. 

“ When  on  the  lovely  moonlit  deep, 

A holy  calm  doth  o’er  me  creep, 

E’er  I compose  mine  eyes  to  sleep, 

I’ll  pray  for  thee. 


240 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


“ When  in  the  far-off  stranger  land, 

Or  on  the  desert’s  burning  sand; 

To  Him  who  saves  by  his  right  hand, 

I ’ll  pray  for  thee. 

“ When  standing  on  the  ruined  site 
Of  ancient  cities  great  in  might, 

By  the  pale  dim  of  evening’s  light, 

I ’ll  pray  for  thee. 

“ When  at  the  lonely  rock,  so  long 
Renowned  in  history  and  song, 

To  God,  the  Judge  of  right  and  wrong, 

I’ll  pray  for  thee. 

“ My  Country  ! thou  my  prayers  shall  share, 
For  thee  upon  my  heart  I bear, 

And  trusting  in  th’  Almighty’s  care, 

I ’ll  pray  for  thee.” 


SLAVE  BOAT  AT  GIRGEIL 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


GIRGEH  AND  ABYDOS FERTILITY  AND  DESOLATION. 

We  halted  at  Girgeh,  for  a visit  to  the  ruins  of  Abydos, 
some  ten  miles  distant.  Abydos  was  the  reputed  burial-, 
place  of  Osiris , one  of  the  most  sacred  of  the  gods  of  ancient 
Egypt.  According  to  Strabo,  it  “formerly  held  the  first 
rank  next  to  Thebes;”  and  Mr.  Wilkinson  infers  from  its 
ruins,  that  it  “ yielded  to  few  cities  of  Upper  Egypt  in  size 
and  magnificence.”  Our  route  thither  lay  across  a plain 
which,  in  extent  and  fertility,  rivals  that  of  Thebes,  and 
which  is  under  much  better  cultivation,  being  studded  with 
villages,  and  entirely  appropriated  either  to  crops  or  to 
grazing.  For  the  irrigation  of  this  vast  area,  the  main 
dependence  is  upon  the  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile,  when 
the  water  is  let  in  by'  canals,  so  as  to  flood  the  whole  plain 
for  a range  of  thirty  miles  by  ten,  the  villages  being  pro- 
tected by  dykes.  There  are  few  sakias  or  shadoofs',  and, 
indeed,  the  soil  does  not  need  them,  for  its  crops  are 
already  as  strong  and  luxuriant  as  consists  with  a good 
quality.  As  we  rode  along,  we  passed  on  the  one.  side 
immense  plantations  of  wheat  which  the  reapers  were  just 
harvesting,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  was  wheat  just  forming 
in  the  ear.  The  sight  of  crops  at  different  stages,  side  by 
side,  reminded  me  of  the  promise,  that  he  that  soweth  seed 
shall  overtake  him  that  reapeth,  — when  the  diffusion  of  the 
gospel  and  the  gathering  of  its  fruits  shall  go  hand  in  hand. 

Large  plantations  of  beans  and  barley,  used  as  fodder  for 
21 


242 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


cattle,  alternated  with  the  fields  of  wheat,  without  any  divi- 
sion by  fences.  Groups  of  camels,  horses,  oxen,  sheep,  and 
goats,  were  scattered  at  intervals  over  the  plain,  their  keep- 
ers dwelling  in  booths  beside  their  pasture  ground.  If 
Abraham  was  the  proprietor  of  any  such  plain  as  this,  on 
the  southern  confines  of  Palestine,  he  needed  nothing  more 
to  make  him  “ rich  in  cattle,  in  silver,  and  in  gold.” 

By  and  by  we*  reached  the  boundary  of  this  fertility,  in 
the  arid  sands  of  the  Lybian  mountains.  Here  was  a large 
lake  of  salt  -water,  and  near  by  the  salt  sprinkled  over  the 
ground,  like  hoarfrost,  indicated  the  site  of  another. 
There  are  similar  lakes  and  pits  of  salt  near  the  temple  of 
Karnac  at  Thebes.  Passing  by  these,  we  came  upon  a 
mound  of  sand  and  dust,  and  broken  bricks  and  pottery, 
strewed  over  with  bleaching  human  bones,  and  ascending 
this  for  several  rods,  and  to  an  elevation  of  about  sixty  feet, 
we  came  out  upon  the  massive  blocks  of  stone  that  form  the 
roof  of  the  old  temple-palace  of  Memnon.  Here,  crawling 
upon  our  hands  and  knees,  we  got  under  the  roof  far  enough 
to  see  that  it  covers  two  large  halls  supported  by  rows  of 
massive  columns,  whose  capitals  are  in  the  form  of  the 
lotus  bud,  still  distinctly  preserved.  The  walls,  as  far  as 
could  be  seen,  are  covered  with  sculptures,  among  which 
the  Ibis  frequently  recurs ; there  are  also  ceremonial  pro- 
cessions and  battle  scenes,  such  as  are  usually  depicted  in 
the  sculptures  of  Egyptian  temples.  No  doubt,  if  this 
temple  should  be  excavated,  it  would  be  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  monuments  in  Egypt.  It  dates  back  nearly 
fourteen  hundred  years  before  Christ. 

The  formation  of  the  roof  was  peculiar.  Large  blocks  of 
stone  were  laid  endwise  from  one  row  of  columns  to  the 
other,  and  then  an  arch  was  hollowed  out  of  this  solid 
masonry,  still  leaving  a roof  two  feet  in  thickness  at  its 
centre.  The  stones  were  so  nicely  adjusted,  that  they  fitted 


GIRGEH  AND  ABYDOS. 


243 


closely  without  cement.  The  ceiling  was  studded  with 
stars,  and  with  sculptures  beautifully  colored.  I have  not 
seen  in  Egypt  more  exquisite  workmanship.  Yet  the  visitor 
is  doomed  to  disappointment  through  the  great  difficulty  of 
access  to  the  temple,  in  consequence  of  the  drifting  in  of  the 
sand  from  the  desert  and  the  neighboring  mountains.  Near 
by  is  another  temple,  also  inaccessible,  the  temple  of  Osiris, 
built  by  the  great  Rameses,  and  enriched  with  alabaster 
walls,  some  fragments  of  which  may  yet  be  found. 

The  neighboring  mountains  are  filled  with  tombs,  some  of 
wffiich  are  nearly  four  thousand  years  old.  Every  thing 
indicates  that  here  was  the  site  of  a great  city  — a city  of 
wealth,  population,  and  power,  enriched  with  trophies  of  con- 
quest and  monuments  of  religion.  But  these  buried  temples 
alone  remain,  and  the  Arabs,  who  now  squat  in  their  rags 
upon  the  top  of  the  splendid  sanctuary  of  Osiris,  have  given 
to  the  place  the  expressive  name  of  “ The  Buried.” 

The  scene  is  one  of  utter  desolation.  Before  you,  on  the 
west,  the  huge  naked  limestone  bluffs  glare  fiercely  in  the 
sun ; around  their  base,  the  sand  of  the  desert  lies  in  drifts, 
and  beyond,  the  desert  itself  stretches  in  interminable  silence. 
Grand  and  gorgeous  temples  are  buried  fifty  feet  beneath 
you,  and  all  around  is  one  mass  of  sand,  and  crumbling  brick 
and  stone,  that  reaches  to  the  mountains,  and  makes  this 
section  of  the  plain  an  utter  waste.  It  is  in  keeping  that 
human  bones  should  lie  thus  bleaching,  amid  the  fragments 
of  human  power. 

What  empires  have  perished  here ! This  whole  valley 
of  the  Nile  is  filled  with  the  ruins  of  cities,  whose  'names 
have  hardly  survived  their  burial.  Everywhere  the  sites 
of  these  old  cities  were  well  chosen;  commonly  at  some 
defile  of  the  parallel  chains  of  mountains,  that  run  the  whole 
length  of  the  river,  where  the  mountains  would  serve  as  a 
defence  from  both  man  and  the  desert,  while  the  plain  that 


244 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


opens  between  would  yield  sustenance,  and  the  river  would 
pour  out  wealth.  The  city  commonly  abutted  upon  the 
mountains,  occupying  the  poorest  soil,  so  as  to  leave  all  the 
arable  land  for  cultivation ; and,  uniformly,  the  largest  and 
richest  plains,  and  the  most  picturesque  disposition  of  the 
mountains,  indicated  the  site.  No  cities  of  modern  times 
are  planted  with  a nicer  calculation  of  commercial  and  agri- 
cultural advantages,  of  facilities  for  defence,  or  of  pic- 
turesque effect,  than  were  those  cities  of  the  old  Egyptians. 
Yet,  how  many  such  cities  does  the  Nile  entomb ! 

Of  Heliopolis  — the  On  of  the  Scriptures,  a few  stones 
only  remain.  Memphis,  or  Noph,  is  a waste.  The  cities  of 
Acanthus,  Isis,  Busiris,  Hercules,  or  Gom,  Cynopolis,  Oxy- 
rhincus,  Antinoe,  Hermopolis,  or  Thmoun,  Alabastron,  Psi- 
naula,  Pesla,  Hieracon,  Lycopolis,  Antaeopolis,  Athribis, 
Chemmis,  Abydos,  Tentyris,  and  other  cities  mentioned  by 
Strabo,  or  in  the  itinerary  of  Antoninus,  or  in  the  old 
manuscripts  of  the  Copts,  have  hardly  a mound  or  a vestige 
by  which  to  identify  their  site.  Yet  some  of  these  were 
cities  of  large  population,  and  of  great  wealth,  at  the  time 
when  Egypt  numbered  eight  millions,  and  monopolized  the 
commerce  of  the  East.  Some  of  them  were  capitals  of  the 
general  divisions  under  which  the  country  was  then  arranged, 
and  were  the  residences  of  chief  officers  of  government. 
Even  Alexandria,  founded  by  the  great  Macedonian  conquer- 
or of  Egypt,  and  in  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies,  the  centre 
of  commerce  and  of  learning  for  the  world,  presents  but 
few  memorials  of  its  former  grandeur  — and  one  of  these  is 
the  solitary  column  that  commemorates  a Roman  conqueror. 
Thus  cities  and  empires  fade  away.  Greece  borrowed  from 
Egypt.  Rome  rifled  Greece,  and  then  rifled  Egypt  also. 
Napoleon  rifled  both  Egypt  and  Rome. 

By  the  way,  Napoleon  was  the  merest  imitator.  At  Paris, 
there  is  an  obelisk  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde , and  in  the 


FERTILITY  AND  DESOLATION. 


245 


Louvre  are  other  memorials  of  Napoleon’s  triumphs  in 
Egypt.  But  at  Rome,  one  finds  in  every  public  place  some 
column  or  obelisk  stolen  from  Egypt,  by  the  imperial  rob- 
bers whom  Napoleon  copied.  At  Paris,  one  sees  triumphal 
arches  commemorative  of  the  Emperor.  At  Rome,  one 
finds  plenty  such  standing  or  in  ruins,  and  among  them  one 
which  Napoleon  very  closely  copied  in  the  Arc  de  Triomphe. 
Coming  to  Egypt,  one  sees  that  these  triumphal  arches  of 
the  Roman  emperors  were  but  a feeble  imitation  of  the 
grand  propyla  that  commemorate  the  great  men  of  Egypt 
in  the  presence  of  her  gods,  and  that  still  stand  in  unrivalled 
grandeur,  though  Persia  and  Greece  and  Rome  and  Mecca 
and  France  have  been  here  as  spoilers,  and  though  Time 
and  the  Desert  have  joined  their  destructive  forces  to  the 
enginery  of  war.  Egypt  is  buried  ; and  so  is  Persia,  and  so 
is  Greece,  and  so  is  Rome,  and  so  is  the  “ 'Great  ” Napoleon. 
Yet  there  remain  more  of  the  symbols  of  art,  of  learning,  of 
wealth,  of  power,  in  old  Egypt  now,  than  all  her  conquerors 
have  left  to  certify  their  grandeur  in  the  capitals  that  they 
enriched  with  her  spoils.  “ The  hicried”  is  not  the  epitaph 
of  Abydos  alone,  nor  of  the  twenty  mighty  cities  that  the 
Nile  once  boasted,  but  also  of  the  empires  that  once  planted 
their  feet  upon  these  ruins,  but  are  now  a mound  of  dust 
and  bones.  Desolation  reigns  where  once  flourished  all  the 
civilization  of  the  old  world. 

But  though  the  empires  that  once  oppressed  the  individ- 
ual man  have  passed  away,  yet  oppression  has  not  ceased  in 
any  of  the  lands  where  once  they  ruled.  The  wailing  of 
women  from  yonder  palm-grove,  attests  the  presence  of  sor- 
row. The  troops  of  the  present  government  are  there,  to 
seize  fathers,  husbands,  brothers,  for  service  in  the  army, 
and  are  now  dragging  off  their  victims  in  chains.  But  here 
is  something  sadder  still.  As  we  ride  back  over  the  fertile 
plain,  we  meet  a sorrowing  group  bearing  the  lifeless  body 
21  * 


246 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


of  a woman,  who  has  just  been  shot  by  the  sheik , for  at- 
tempting to  rescue  her  brother  from  conscription.  Des- 
olation reigns  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  It  would  be  a theme 
for  the  pen  of  Whittier. 


v 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


ITALIANS  AND  COPTS. 

One  is  struck  continually  with  the  number  of  Italians  in 
Egypt.  At  Alexandria  and  Cairo,  a large  portion  of  the 
business  in  groceries  and  provisions,  and,  in  general,  the  sup- 
ply of  travellers,  has  fallen  into  their  hands.  They  adapt 
themselves  easily  to  oriental  manners.  The  climate  suits 
them,  the  houses  are  very  much  like  their  own,  and  they 
seem  to  be  as  much  at  home  in  Egypt  as  in  their  native 
Italy.  Indeed  they  are  more  at  home,  for  many  of  them 
are  living  here  as  exiles  and  refugees,  finding  under  a Mo- 
hammedan power  that  freedom  and  protection  which  are 
denied  them  by  the  Head  of  Christendom,  and  by  sundry 
defenders  of  the  faith.  The  Italians  in  Egypt  are  gener- 
ally industrious  and  well-disposed;  although  to  them  not 
the  least  attractive  of  oriental  habits  is,  that  of  sitting  before 
a cafe  in  the  open  air,  drinking  Mocha,  and  smoking  a pipe. 
It  is  a sad  comment  on  the  Papacy,  that  honest  and  useful 
citizens  are  driven  from  the  cross  to  the  crescent,  for  the 
enjoyment  of  personal  liberty,  and  of  business  prosperity. 
On  the  Upper  Nile  the  Italian  language  is  better  known  to 
the  natives  than  the  English,  and  Italians  are  frequently  met 
in  the  bazaars  in  native  costume,  and  to  all  appearance 
fully  domesticated.  Egypt  affords  them  an  easy  retreat 
from  their  own  country ; some  have  abandoned  Italy  for 
ever,  others  bide  their  time. 

But  this  intermingling  of  Italians  with  the  Arabs  is  really 


248 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


profitable  for  neither.  The  Italians  seem  to  lose  their 
national  spirit,  and  to  fall  under  the  spell  of  oriental  life, 
while  the  Arabs  receive,  through  them,  either  infidel  notions 
or  a caricature  of  Christianity.  * 

At  Girgeh,  as  I was  strolling  through  the  streets  at  an 
early  hour,  I inquired  for  a Coptic  church,  and  was  led  to 
a little  building  in  which  were  sundry  pictures  of  the  Vir- 
gin, and  an  altar  illuminated  with  candles,  before  which  a 
solitary  Italian  priest,  in  shabby  vestments,  that  but  in  part 
concealed  the  native  costume,  was  performing  the  mass, 
while  a little  Arab  boy,  dirty  and  stupid,  jingled  the  bell, 
handed  the  books,  and  officiated  in  general  as  his  deputy, 
and  finally  received  the  consecrated  wafer,  and  then  blew 
out  the  candles.  I knew  at  once  that  I was  not  in  a Coptic, 
but  a Roman  Catholic  church.  There  were  present  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  Copt  proselytes,  half  a dozen  Italians,  and 
an  English  lady  and  gentleman,  who*  seemed  the  most 
devout  of  the  assembly,  though  they  wore  the  air  of  novices 
rather  than  of  experts.  It  was  painful  to  find  here  an 
emissary  of  Rome  established  in  Upper  Egypt,  with  all  the 
apparatus  of  his  system,  while,  with  the  exception  of  the 
English  chaplain  at  Cairo,  there  is  no  Protestant  missionary 
in  the  whole  country.  If  Italy  and  France  teach  Egypt 
Christianity,  woe  worth  the  day. 

The  character  and  influence  of  this  priest,  and,  in  general, 
of  Romanism  in  Egypt,  may  be  inferred  from  a further 
extract  from  the  “ Journal  ” of  Mr.  Patterson,  referred  to 
in  a former  chapter.  Says  Mr.  P.,  — 

“ He  — the  Padre  — told  us  a good  deal,  both  concerning 
his  own  mission  and  the  system  on  which  all  are  conducted. 
He  is  the  only  missionary  here,  and  there  is  a nun  (also  a 
Franciscan)  to  teach  the  little  girls,  etc.,  and  assist  him  in 
such  works  as  she  can.'  He  has  also  two  Copt  priests,  (con- 
verts,) who  are  entirely,  under  his  order.  It  appears  that  a 


ITALIANS  AND  COPTS. 


249 


large  body  of  the  Copts,  clergy  and  laity,  have  been  recon- 
ciled to  the  church,  and  their  orders  being  recognized,  their 
archbishop  and  priests  exercise  their  functions  under  the 
license  of  the  missionaries.  Thus  the  Padre  here  gives  one 
of  his  Copt  priests  license  to  receive  his  own  confession  be- 
fore he  makes  it  to  him.  They  can  say  their  private  mass, 
(for  which  they  use  their  own  rite)  ; but  all  other  functions 
they  use  only  at  the  express  permission  of  the  missionaries, 
(but  this  a temporary  arrangement,  I believe,  till  a regular 
Coptic  hierarchy  is  erected). 

“ It  is  a small  illustration,”  he  continues,  u of  the  absence 
of  priggishness,  and  the  great  reality  of  their  efforts,  that 
the  missionaries,  though  regulars,  adopt  the  costume  of  the 
country  and  all  its  lawful  customs.  Without  disparaging 
Protestant  missionaries,  who  are  said  to  be  often  devoted 
men,  I cannot  quite  think  that  the  efficacy  of  a white  tie 
and  a black  coat,  in  converting  the  heathen,  is  so  great  as 
they  seem  to  think ; nor  that  the  exhibition  of  domestic 
felicity,  money,  and  Bibles,  produces  the  same  results,  as 
self-denial,  poverty,  and  celibacy,  working  systematically, 
and  backed  by  all  spiritual  authority.” 

This  extract  from  Mr.  Patterson’s  book  reveals  the  sub- 
tilty  of  Romanism  in  its  endeavors  to  proselyte  the  Copts ; 
but  it  makes  a more  alarming  revelation  of  the  subtilty  of 
the  Puseyite  or  High  Church  influence  in  the  Church  of 
England.  One  cannot  overlook  the  sneer  at  the  domestic 
example,  and  the  social  influence  of  a Protestant  missionary 
and  his  family,  nor  the  commendation  of  celibacy  in  con- 
nection with  the  statement  that  a solitary  priest  and  a soli- 
tary nun  are  laboring  together  upon  this  field.  The  verging 
of  Puseyism  toward  Monasticism,  is  one  of  its  most  danger- 
ous tendencies.  The  Monastic  system  and  the  Priesthood, 
both  separating  from  the  people  an  order  of  men  of  reputed 
sanctity,  and  investing  them  with  some  special  divine  com- 


250 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


mission  and  authority,  have  corrupted  the  whole  Christianity 
of  the  East,  and  have  reduced  these  ancient  churches  to 
their  present  low  state.  Can  these  systems,  or  any  thing 
that  affiliates  with  them,  revive  these  churches,  and  restore 
Christianity  to  its  primitive  purity?  I say  it  with  all 
kindness  of  feeling  toward  the  individual  members  of  hierar- 
chical communions,  but  with  the  deepest  and  most  earnest 
conviction,  that  Christianity  cannot  be  revived  in  the  East 
through  a polity  and  forms  that  assimilate  so  nearly  with 
those  of  these  degenerate  and  decaying  churches. 

The  degeneracy  of  the  Coptic  church,  and  the  facilities  it 
offers  to  skilful  proselyters  from  Rome,  are  illustrated  by  the 
following  account  of  their  church  usages,  given  me  by  a 
priest.  Some  days  after  this  incident  at  Girgeh,  while 
walking  through  the  bazaar  in  Manfaloot,  on  the  Upper 
Nile,  which  was  once  the  seat  of  a bishop,  we  met  a tall, 
fine-looking  Copt,  whom  we  saluted,  and  who  courteously 
invited  us  to  sit  upon  a mat  on  a divan  in  front  of  a little 
shop,  where  another  Copt  was  occupied  in  some  manufac- 
ture. We  sent  for  our  interpreter.  While  we  were  wait- 
ing, four  priests  ascended  the  minaret  of  a mosque  near  by, 
and  from  its  balcony  proclaimed  the  hour  of  evening  prayer, 
crying  with  a prolonged,  plaintive,  wavering  note,  Al-la-hu 
Akbclr  — “ To  God,  the  Great.”  Our  new  friend  invited  us 
to  the  church,  and  sent  for  two  priests,  with  whom  we  held 
a long  and  interesting  conversation. 

The  building  resembled  those  at  Negadeh,  but  was  some- 
what more  profusely  adorned  with  rude  pictures,  the  subjects 
being  Christ  led  to  crucifixion,  the  Virgin  Mary,  etc.,  all 
which  were  suspended  in  a row  behind  the  pulpit.  The 
amount  of  the  priest’s  explanations  of  these  pictures,  was, 
that  they  are  used  as  aids  to  prayer,  (I  suppose  in  the  way 
of  suggestion  and  emotion,)  but  that  prayer  is  offered  to 
God  only.  This  is  just  the  pretext  that  the  Roman  Catholic 


ITALIANS  AND  COPTS. 


251 


makes  for  the  use  of  images  and  relics,  viz.,  to  stimulate  de- 
votional feelings.  I inquired  particularly  as  to  membership 
in  their  churches,  or  terms  of  communion,  and  learned  that 
all  children  of  Coptic  parents  are  baptized,  the  boys  at  forty 
days,  and  the  girls  at  eighty.  In  all  the  observances  of 
their  church,  much  stress  is  laid  upon  days.  Every  Copt,  as 
he  grows  up  to  years  of  knowledge,  partakes  of  the  Lord’s 
Supper,  but  I could  not  learn  at  what  age.  I asked  whether 
a grossly  wicked  man  could  come  to  the  Lord’s  table ; the 
answer  was,  that  the  priest  would  take  him  under  his  in- 
struction for  six  months  or  more,  until  he  thought  him  fit  to 
partake  of  the  sacrament.  I asked  whether  being  baptized 
and  partaking  of  the  sacrament,  would  suffice  to  take  one  to 
heaven,  or  whether  there  must  be  a good  heart  toward  God 
and  Christ  ? He  answered,  that  the  future  would  depend 
upon  our  living  rightly  here,  but  we  couldn’t  tell  any 
thing  about  that,  and  must  leave  it  to  God.  It  was  evident 
that  he  had /very  vague  notions  of  repentance  and  faith, 
and  the  religion  of  the  heart,  and  he  seemed  perplexed 
and  annoyed  by  the  questions.  I endeavored  to  ascertain 
the  mode  of  training  for  the  priesthood,  and  as  far  as  I 
could  make,  out,  it  is  somewhat  as  follows : — A boy  is  taken 
into  the  service  of  the  priest,  to  prepare  his  garments, 
arrange  his  books,  wait  upon  him  during  the  public  worship, 
and  in  this  way  he  is  initiated  into  all  the  mysteries  of  the 
vestry  and  the  vestments,  and  all  the  routine  of  days  and  ser- 
vices. He  is  also  taught  to  read  Coptic  and  Arabic.  After 
being  thus  trained  under  the  priest  as  an  assistant,  he  goes 
to  Cairo  to  be  examined,  and,  if  need  be,  further  trained 
under  persons  appointed  for  this  purpose  by  the  Patriarch, 
and  when  approved,  if  thirty  years  of  age,  he  is  ordained  to  the 
office  of  priest.  I could  not  learn  that  there  was  any  proper 
biblical  or  theological  training,  nor  any  such  qualification  as 
we  deem  necessary  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  I should 


252 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


infer  that  preaching  holds  a minor  place  in  the  Coptic  ser- 
vice, and  that  it  is  chiefly  liturgical  and  ceremonial,  though  I 
have  not  yet  witnessed  it,  as  I hope  to  do  at  Cairo. 

This  priest  was  evidently  ignorant,  — he  did  not  know  the 
name  of  Athanasius , though  I dare  say  he  has  often  recited 
his  creed.  The  Copts  at  Negadeh  had  never  heard  of  him, 
nor  did  the  Christians  at  Ekmim  know  the  name  of  Nes - 
torius , who  died  there,  after  sixteen  years  of  banishment  in 
the  great  oasis,  by  decree  of  the  Council  of  Ephesus. 
Neither  could  I learn  any  thing  of  the  whole  number  of 
Copts,  and  of  Coptic  churches  in  Egypt.  There  is  not  a 
newspaper  or  journal  published  in  the  whole  country. 
There  is  no  general  post-office  for  the  service  of  the  public, 
and  the  people  know  only  what  is  immediately  around  them. 
On  the  whole,  I thought  the  priests  at  Manfaloot  did  not 
much  relish  our  interview ; but  our  tall  friend  and  others 
volunteered  to  go  back  with  us  to  America.  The  people 
are  open,  though  opposition  must  be  looked  for  from  the 
priests.  It  seems,  too,  that  Mohammedans  as  well  as  Copts, 
are  to  some  extent  accessible  to  missionary  efforts. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


OSIOOT,  OR  WOLF-TOWN THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 

A MODERN  CEMETERY SOLDIER  MAKING JOHN  THE 

HERMIT. 

“ Like  gods,  like  people.”  Never  was  this  adage  more 
fully  verified  than  in  the  old  Lycopolis,  whose  site  we  visit 
to-day.  At  Thebes  we  saw  everywhere  the  ram-headed 
divinity  promoted  to  special  honor.  In  that  city,  and  at 
other  points  on  the  Nile,  the  sheep  was  a sacred  animal;  it 
must  not  be  killed  for  food,  and  when  it  died  a natural  death 
it  must  receive  mummy  honors.  But  here  the  wolf  was 
sacred  ; and  as  his  wolfsliip  saw  no  sanctity  in  a sheep,  his 
worshippers  imitated  their  god  in  devouring  the  innocent 
animal  that  was  worshipped  in  a neighboring  nome,  where 
the  wolf,  its  natural  enemy,  was  hunted  and  slain.  Our 
crew,  catching  the  old  spirit  of  the  place,  are  clamorous  for 
buckshish , in  the  form  of  a fat  old  ram ; and  while  they  are 
enjoying  the  savory  mess,  we  will  go  up  and  survey  the  town. 

Osioot  is  the  present  capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  and  the 
residence  of  its  governor,  — the  largest  and  best  built  town 
above  Cairo  on  the  Nile.  Its  situation  is  even  more  beauti- 
ful than  that  of  Cairo ; and,  except  in  extent,  the  view  of 
the  grand  capital  from  the  citadel  does  not  surpass  the  view 
of  Osioot  from  the  mountains  in  the  rear.  The  town  is 
situated  about  two  miles  back  from  the  present  channel  of 
the  river,  and  is  protected  from  inundation  by  massive 
dykes,  which  are  ornamented  with  sycamores  and  acacias, 
22  . 


254 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


thus  forming  pleasant,  shady  avenues  on  all  sides  of  the 
town ; while  numerous  gardens,  with  fragrant  flowers  and 
luxuriant  vegetation,  give  to  the  entire  suburbs  an  air  of 
rural  magnificence  that  cannot  be  rivalled  in  our  cold  and 
changeful  climate.  The  town  itself  is  built  compactly,  like 
all  Egyptian  towns,  its  population  of  twenty  thousand  being 
compressed  into  the  space  of  a New  England  town  of  eight 
thousand.  It  is  surrounded  with  walls,  and  divided  into 
quarters,  with  their  respective  gates ; for  here,  as  in  the 
grand  capital,  all  sects  and  nations  are  intermingled.  It  is 
computed  that  there  are  in  Osioot  a thousand  Copt  Chris- 
tians, and  this  is  the  see  of  a bishop  of  that  ancient  church. 

The  bazaars  exhibit  almost  as  fine  a display  of  goods  as 
those  of  the  capital ; yet  every  thing  is  compressed  into  the 
smallest  compass,  the  principle  of  an  eastern  merchant  in 
this  respect  being  the  very  opposite  of  that  of  a Broadway 
retailer.  The  minarets  of  Osioot  are  celebrated  for  their 
beauty  ; but  the  tallest,  which  is  most  admired,  did  not  meet 
my  ideal  of  ethereal  grace.  It  is  too  slender  and  contracts 
too  suddenly  for  the  best  effect,  and  is  suggestive  of  an 
elongated  hay-pole.  It  is  only  here  and  there  that  you 
find  a minaret  of  perfect  proportions  — for  the  present  race 
have  no  architectural  taste  or  skill ; — but  a fine  specimen 
of  the  minaret  might  furnish  some  good  hints  to  an  architect 
for  the  steeples  of  our  village  churches.  The  effect  of  the 
minarets  of  Osioot,  as  seen  from  the  neighboring  hill,  is  very 
beautiful : the  whole  town  looks  like  one  vast  cathedral,  with 
pointed  towers  rising  at  every  angle  ; and  the  general  group- 
ing is  highly  picturesque. 

Osioot  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  Jjycopolis , the  city 
where  the  wolf  was  held  in  special  veneration,  and  where  it 
received  the  rites  of  sepulture  accorded  to  kings.  No  re- 
mains of  the  ancient  city  are  to  be  found  except  a few  mis- 
shapen blocks  scattered  here  and  there  as  door-stones  in  the 


OSIOOT,  OR  WOLF-TOWN. 


255 


modern  town.  But  the  mountain  is  full  of  the  tokens  of  the 
power  and  the  wealth  of  the  people  that  once  ruled  upon 
this  soil.  Here,  as  at  Abydos,  we  see  the  wisdom  and  the 
taste  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  in  selecting  the  sites  of  their 
cities.  A vast  expanse  of  the  richest  soil,  divided  by  the 
river,  lies  between  two  mountain  ranges  that  widen  their 
embrace  to  shield  it  from  the  desert,  while  northward  and 
southward  they  close  in  around  it,  as  a defence  from  human 
foes.  The  Lybian  mountains,  in  the  rear,  and  upon  which 
the  city  abutted,  were  chosen  as  the  place  of  burial ; and 
here  we  still  find  numerous  tiers  of  excavated  tombs,  ex- 
tending even  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  six  hundred 
feet  above  the  plain.  These  tombs,  like  those  at  Thebes, 
are  chambers  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  sometimes  in 
the  form  of  grand  saloons  with  colonnades,  sometimes  a 
single  arched  hall,  and  sometimes  a series  of  rooms  conduct- 
ing far  into  the  bowels  of  the  mountain.  Many  of  these 
bear  marks  of  having  been  covered  with  paintings  and 
sculptures,  but  these  are  now  much  defaced.  There  is  little 
of  ornament  remaining  to  attract  the  traveller  to  the  tombs 
of  Lycopolis.  But  even  in  their  dilapidated  state,  they 
serve  to  illustrate  the  wealth,  the  power,  and  the  religion  of 
ancient  Egypt.  These  tombs  were,  for  the  most  part,  the 
property  of  private  individuals,  and  are,  therefore,  a better 
standard  of  the  wealth  of  the  country,  than  are  the  tombs  of 
priests  and  kings. 

This  exponent  of  the  ancient  wealth  of  Egypt  is  the 
more  striking,  by  contrast  with  the  modern  cemetery  of 
Osioot.  Just  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  and  separated 
from  the  town  by  a canal  and  a dyke,  is  the  present  necrop- 
olis, which  is  reputed  to  be  the  best  in  Egypt.  But 
nothing  can  be  more  devoid  of  taste,  of  sentiment,  of  solem- 
nity, of  beauty,  or  indeed  of  any  feature  of  interest,  than 
are  the  present  cemeteries  of  Egypt.  The  exposure  of  the 


256 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

alluvial  soil  to  inundation,  the  moisture  of  the  soil  itself,  and 
the  great  value  of  all  cultivable  land  in  Egypt,  leads  of 
necessity  to  the  occupation  of  a dry,  sandy  spot  for  burial 
purposes.  The  cemetery  of  Osioot  is  situated  on  the  margin 
of  the  desert,  and  the  waste  of  sand  around  it  is  only  here 
and  there  relieved  by  shrubs  of  stinted  growth.  The  tombs 
are  of  the  coarsest  material ; commonly  a low  arch  of  baked 
mud  or  mud-brick,  raised  two  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
daubed  over  with  a white  plaster.  Sometimes  a little  wall 
is  raised  around  this,  sometimes  a dome,  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
high ; or  if  the  tomb  belongs  to  a sheik , it  is  built  in  the 
form  of  a dome,  and  large  enough  to  admit  of  a few  mats 
for  the  use  of  devotees  who  come  to  pray  and  to  leave  their 
votive  offerings.  But  whatever  may  be  the  size  or  shape  of 
the  tomb,  it  is  still  the  same  mud  wall  covered  with  white 
plaster.  The  only  attempt  at  ornament  is  the  scrawling  of 
rude  and  fantastic  figures  in  red  and  green  paint,  after  the 
most  approved  toy-shop  style.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  dreari- 
ness of  such  a place.  The  cemetery  is  a thoroughfare  for 
donkeys  and  cattle,  as  well  as  for  men,  and  its  tombs  are  often 
suffered  to  fall  into  decay.  It  is  easy  to  understand  how,  in 
a warm  climate,  both  lunatics  and  desperadoes  could  make 
such  a place  their  abode ; but  the  glare  of  white  plaster,  and 
the  daub  of  red  and  green  paint,  unrelieved  by  flower  or 
foliage  or  fence  or  storied  monument,  renders  it  any  thing  but 
an  inviting  place  for  religious  meditation.  In  this  near  con- 
trast of  the  modern  cemeteries  with  the  apcient  catacombs 
of  Egypt,  we  have  a striking  evidence  of  the  decline  of  the 
country  in  its  material  prosperity.  For  while  the  modern 
resting-places  of  the  dead,  compared  with  the  ancient,  are 
the  mud  hovels  of  beggars  as  compared  with  the  palaces  of 
kings,  yet  the  incalculable  difference  between  their  re- 
spective outlays  for  the  dead,  is  not  in  any  way  realized  in 
the  increased  comfort  of  the  living.  Labor  is  still  at  the 


OSIOOT,  OR  WOLF-TOWN. 


257 


minimum  for  the  support  of  human  life  ; and  the  modern 
cemetery  shows  not  a wise  economy,  but  the  beggarly 
emptiness  of  a beggarly  race. 

The  Mohammedan  Arab  has  the  same  disposition  to  adorn 
the  tomb  as  had  the  native  Egpytian  ; but  he  lacks  both  the 
means  and  the  capacity  for  doing  this.  The  sacred  wolves, 
fragments  of  whose  mummies  you  may  pick  up  in  almost 
every  tomb,  had  a more  honored  burial  than  the  sainted 
sheik,  not  because  the  ancient  Egyptian  had  more  super- 
stition than  the  present  occupant  of  the  soil,  but  because 
with  his  superstition,  he  had  more  of  wealth  and  power  and 
genius  to  develop  its  conceptions  into  permanent  and  im- 
pressive forms.  Superstition  the  most  abject  still  reigns ; 
but  the  wealth  has  gone,  and  the  power  has  gone  and  the 
genius  has  gone,  and  hence  the  grand  and  the  beautiful  are 
no  more  seen,  but  the  rudely  daubed  mosque  succeeds  the 
massive  sculptured  temple,  and  the  whitewashed  mud  sepul- 
chre succeeds  the  palace-tomb.  If  the  wolf  and  the  “ croco- 
dilo  ” are  “ finish,”  Egypt  is  finished  too.  Her  kings  are 
gone  ; her  wise  men  are  gone  ; her  great  men  are  gone ; her 
art  is  gone ; her  wealth  is  gone ; and  a decrepit  race  now 
squats  upon  her  ruins. 

Of  this  a striking  proof  is  given  in  the  present  art  of 
soldier  making.  I have  several  times  alluded  to  the  impress- 
ment of  recruits  now  going  on  in  Egypt,  as  incidents  con- 
nected with  it  have  fallen  under  my  notice,  but  having  to- 
day seen  at  Osioot  the  whole  reality  of  the  thing,  I will  here 
collate  its  various  incidents  into  one  statement. 

The  ambitious  schemes  of  Mohammed  Ali,  the  late  Vice- 
roy of  Egypt,  demanded  a native  army  disciplined  upon  the 
European  model.  He  raised  such  an  army  by  a forcible 
conscription  throughout  all  Egypt,  exhausting  the  strength 
of  the  country  in  his  very  endeavors  to  augment  its  power. 
To  a people  of  such  strong  domestic  affections  as  have  the 
22  * 


258 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


common  people  of  Egypt,  and  who  had  been  accustomed  to 
live  quietly  in  their  secluded  villages  of  the  Upper  Nile,  this 
being  seized  by  force  to  fight  battles  to  which  , they  felt  no 
call  of  patriotism  or  of  self-protection,  was  a doom  as 
horrible  as  death.  No  proclamation  of.  war,  no  newspaper, 
no  popular  convention  set  forth  the  necessity  for  the  levying 
of  troops ; Egypt  has  no  such  means  of  enlightening  or  of 
swaying  the  popular  mind  even  in  a bad  cause ; — but  of  a 
sudden,  a company  of  soldiers  descending  upon  a village, 
would  seize  all  the  young  and  vigorous  men  and  drag  them 
off  in  chains  to  serve  in  the  army  of  the  Pasha.  Hence 
thousands  put  out  the  right  eye,  in  order  to  avoid  the  con- 
scription, and  when  the  shrewd  old  tyrant  formed  a regiment 
of  one-eyed  men,  they  maimed  their  right  hands  also.  Thus 
the  levying  of  soldiers  has  become  a terror  in  all  Egypt. 
The  system  has  been  modified  and  made  as  reasonable  as  it 
can  be  in  any  country  where  a large  standing  army  is  re- 
quired for  the  purposes  of  a government  in  which  the  people 
feel  no  interest.  The  present  drafting  is  of  persons  between 
certain  ages,  and  for  the  term  of  four  years  ; each  village  is 
required  to  furnish  its  quota,  and  an  opportunity  is  given  to 
select  the  men  by  lot.  The  pay  of  a soldier  is  seventy-five 
cents  a month,  with  his  board  and  clothing,  both  of  much 
better  quality  than  those  of  the  fellah , or  peasant ; but  life 
in  the  barracks  takes  away  all  personal  liberty  and  domestic 
enjoyment,  and  after  every  modification,  the  old  horror  of 
the  thing  remains. 

We  were  first  made  aware  of  this- state  of  things,  by  the 
reluctance  of  our  crew  to  go  on  shore  at  certain  villages 
where  the  recruiting  officers  chanced  to  be.  Once  the  cook- 
boy,  who  had  been  sent  for  milk,  came  running  to  the  boat 
without  his  jar,  in  great  consternation,  saying  that  an 
attempt  had  been  made  to  seize  him  as  a soldier.  We 
could  have  reclaimed  him  as  our  servant,  but  this  would 


SOLDIER  MAKING. 


259 


have  caused  an  embarrassing  delay.  At  Keneh  we  saw  a 
large  number  of  respectable  men,  seated  on  the  ground  near 
the  barracks,  solemnly  awaiting  the  issue  of  the  lot  that  was 
to  decide  the  fate  of  their  sons,  while  the  women  hung 
around  in  groups,  whose  consternation  would  soon  give 
place  to  frantic  wailing.  It  was  truly  an  affecting  scene. 

At  Thebes  we  found  the  mountains  filled  with  the 
peasantry  who  had  fled  thither  from  the  conscription,  while 
the  passes  were  guarded  by  soldiers,  on  the  watch  for  any 
straggler  who  might  venture  out  for  food.  But  women  and 
children  contrived  to  smuggle  food  to  the  refugees,  who  kept 
up  a constant  watch,  and  who  fled  at  the  approach  of 
strangers.  We  came  suddenly  one  day  upon  a concourse 
of  these  poor  people,  who,  mistaking  us  for  their  pursuers, 
at  first  made  a show  of  resistance,  and  then  huddled  them- 
selves more  closely  into  the  tombs. 

A vender  of  antiques  offered  me  a lot,  for  which  I made 
him  a bid,  leaving  the  decision  until  the  following  day. 
Next  day  an  elderly  neighbor  presented  himself  to  say, 
that  in  the  night  the  mummy-merchant* had  been  seized  and 
carried  off  as  a soldier,  and  that  his  son  would  not  venture 
out  for  fear  of  a like  fate. 

At  one  point  on  the  river,  I saw  a large  boat  loaded  with 
men,  chained  together  three  and  three  by  the  neck,  and  an 
armed  guard  standing  over  them.  These  were  recruits  for 
the  army,  bound  to  Cairo.  At  two  or  three  places  on  the 
river,  the  Copts  begged  us  to  intercede  with  the  govern- 
ment not  to  take  their  sons  as  soldiers  to  be  mixed  with 
Mussulmen  in  all  the  corruptions  of  the  camp.  One  venera- 
ble man  was  so  grief-stricken  at  the  seizure  of  his  son,  that 
he  proposed  to  go  with  us  to  America. 

I have  already  mentioned  the  horrible  incident  near  Gir- 
geh,  where  a woman  was  shot  dead  for  attempting  to  hinder 
the  impressment  of  her  brother.  But  at  Osioot  the  whole 


260 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


effect  of  the  impressment  was  spread  before  us.  As  we 
approached  the  town,  the  loud  wailing  and  screaming  of 
women  reached  our  ears ; and  presently  we  met  a mounted 
officer  followed  by  a foot-guard,  dragging  a few  recruits 
bound  with  ropes  and  chains ; and  these  surrounded  by 
wives,  mothers,  and  sisters,  their  faces  and  breasts  smeared 
over  with  dung  in  token  of  their  grief,  to  which  they  gave 
vent  in  heart-rending  lamentations.  On  the  top  of  the 
mountain  this  wail  continued  to  pierce  our  ears,  as  new 
parties  were  dragged  along  the  various  roads.  When  we 
entered  the  town  we  found  the  bazaars  almost  deserted, 
and  business  suspended,  while  around  the  governor’s  palace 
were  thousands  of  women  screaming,  wailing,  smiting  their 
breasts,  tearing  their  hair,  covering  themselves  with  filth, 
and  making  every  demonstration  of  grief,  which  the  recruit- 
ing officers  in  vain  attempted  to  drown  with  the  noise  of 
drums.  The  whole  town  was  astir,  and  long  after  we  left 
it  we  heard  the  cry  of  anguish  with  which  the  land  of 
Egypt  gives  birth  to  an  army. 

The  mountains  back  of  Osioot  were  the  abode  of  hermits, 
during  the  reign  of  the  Byzantine  emperors.  One  of  these, 
from  his  oracular  dignity  in  state  affairs,  is  somewhat  noted 
in  history.  Describing  the  superstition  of  Theodosius,  Gib- 
bon informs  us,  that  “ before  he  performed  any  decisive  reso- 
lution, the  pious  emperor  was  anxious  to  discover  the  will 
of  heaven ; and  as  the  progress  of  Christianity  had  silenced 
the  oracles  of  Delphi  and  Dodona,  he  consulted  an  Egyp- 
tian monk,  who  possessed,  in  the  opinion  of  the  age,  the 
gift  of  miracles  and  knowledge  of  futurity.  Eutropius,  one 
of  the  favorite  oracles  of  the  palace  of  Constantinople,  em- 
barked for  Alexandria,  from  whence  he  sailed  up  the  Nile 
as  far  as  the  city  of  Lycopolis,  or  of  Wolves,  in  the  remote 
province  of  Thebais.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  city  and 
on  the  summit  of  a lofty  mountain,  the  holy  John  had  con- 


JOHN  THE  HEBMIT 


261 


structed  with  his  own  hand  an  humble  cell,  in  which  he 
dwelt  above  fifty  years,  without  opening  his  door,  without 
seeing  the  face  of  a woman,  and  without  tasting  any  food 
that  had  been  prepared  with  fire,  or  any  human  art. 
Five  days  of  the  week  he  spent  in  prayer  and  meditation; 
but  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays  he  regularly  opened  a 
small  window  and  gave  audience  to  the  crowd  of  suppliants 
who  successively  flowed  from  every  part  of  the  Christian 
world.  The  eunuch  of  Theodosius  approached  the  window 
with  respectful  steps,  proposed  his  questions  concerning  the 
event  of  the  civil  war,  and  soon  returned  with  a favorable 
oracle,  which  animated  the  courage  of  the  emperor  by  the 
assurance  of  a bloody  but  infallible  victory.” 

When  I ascended  this  mountain  and  looked  out  from  its 
now  empty  tombs  upon  one  of  the  richest  and  most  beauti- 
ful plains  in  all  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  and  from  its  summit 
saw  the  Lybian  desert  spreading  like  a sea  to  the  western 
horizon,  I felt  that  no  spot  could  have  been  selected  more 
favorable  to  such  a life  as  those  old  hermits  led.  The 
tombs  had  nothing  of  the  atmosphere  of  a modern  sepulchre. 
The  rocks  in  which  they  are  hewn,  like  those  at  Thebes, 
have  no  soil,  and  therefore  no  vegetation  to  dampen  them ; 
they  are  a dry,  clean  limestone,  that  yields  readily  under 
the  chisel,  and  yet  that  changes  little  with  time  in  a climate 
where  there  is  no  rain.  The  tombs  themselves  are  spacious 
chambers,  and  they  range  from  two  hundred  to  five  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  surface  of  the  plain,  being  hewn  fre- 
quently in  the  very  clefts  of  the  rocks,  and  difficult  of  access 
to  one  not  skilled  in  climbing.  Here  the  recluse  would  find 
security  in  his  solitude ; the  mountains  and  the  desert  would 
favor  his  more  sombre  meditations,  while  the  plain  would  at 
once  supply  his  simple  wants,  and  suggest  to  him  the  kindlier 
associations  of  humanity. 

On  the  very  top  of  the  mountain  I found  the  remains  of  a 


262 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


drude  brick  hut,  which  may  have  been  the  abode  of  the 
oracular  John.  In  such  a spot,  amid  such  associations,  one 
is  perplexed  to  know  whether  was  better,  the  old  religion 
that  built  these  tombs  in  the  belief  of  a future  state  and  of 
the  transmigration  of  souls,  and  embalmed  the  wolves  whose 
remains  I found  scattered  among  them,  — or  the  religion 
that  converted  them  into  the  chapels  of  stuccoed  saints  and 
the  cells  of  oracular  hermits ; or  the  religion  that,  despising 
alike  the  worship  of  idols  and  of  pictures,  has  desecrated 
both  the  wolf’s  tomb  and  the  hermit’s  cell,  and,  in  the  faith 
of  the  anchorite  warrior  of  Mecca,  now  rears  its  lofty  mina- 
rets upon  the  plain,  proclaiming  with  each  returning  hour 
of  prayer,  “ La  illah  iV Allah  — There  is  no  deity  but  God.” 
A religion  whose  patron  saint  was  a mounted  warrior  in 
mortal  combat  with  a dragon,  and  whose  imperial  patron 
and  professor  would  send  his  ministers  of  state  fifteen  hun- 
dred miles  to  take  counsel  of  a pulse-dried  cynic  in  his 
mountain  cell,  had  not  the  spiritual  life  to  withstand  the  tor- 
rent of  fanaticism  that  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  cen- 
tury swept  over  Egypt  from  Arabia. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


ANTIQUITY  OF  ART  AND  SCIENCE  — TRUE  ANTIQUITY 
OF  EGYPT. 

“We  read  of  the  golden  age  of  art.  When  was  it?  The 
Augustan  age  ? The  age  of  Pericles  ? 

There  was  a golden  age  of  letters  too.  When?  Was  it 
when  art  and  letters  and  science  reached  a high  develop- 
ment, if  not  perfection,  and  were  under  the  patronage  of  all 
the  wealthy  and  the  great  ? — when  the  rich  planned  how 
best  to  adorn  their  palaces,  and  monarchs  put  in  requisition 
all  human  skill  for  their  temples  and  their  tombs  ? Then 
had  art  and  science  a golden  age  long  before  Augustus  or 
Pericles  — before  Rome  or  Greece  was  born. 

In  proof  of  this,  I would  adduce  the  tombs  at  Beni-Has- 
san,  on  the  Lower  Nile.  These  have  been  famous,  from  the 
conjecture  that  one  of  them  was  the  temporary  tomb  of 
Joseph,  and  that  a scene  upon  its  walls  represented  the 
arrival  in  Egypt  of  Jacob  and  his  sons.  This  picture,  which 
is  about  eight  feet  long  by  two  feet  in  width,  represents  a 
family  of  emigrants,  who  come  with  presents,  having  with 
them  women,  children,  baggage,  asses  — the  very  prototype 
of  the  present  race  of  donkeys  — also  weapons  and  instru- 
ments of  music.  Champollion  mistook  them  for  Greeks, 
and  some  have  supposed  them  to  be  the  brethren  of  Joseph. 
But  this  has  been  disproved,  by  the  discovery  from  the  hiero- 
glyphics, that  the  tomb  is  much  older  than  the  time  of 


264 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Joseph,  and  older  than  any  at  Thebes,  as  is  true  of  most  of 
the  sepulchral  grottos  at  this  point. 

Here,  then,  is  the  place  to  study  ancient  Egyptian  art. 
To  my  amazement,  I found  one  tomb  some  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  almost  a Doric  temple, 
hewn  from  the  solid  rock.  Before  it  is  a portico,  supported 
by  two  pillars,  of  an  order  almost  identical  with  the  Doric, 
and  which  must  have  suggested  that;  while  within  is  a 
chamber  some  thirty  feet  square,  its  roof  supported  also  by 
four  columns  of  the  same  order.  This  chamber  wras  cut 
from  the  solid  rock  with  perfect  precision;  no  modern 
square,  or  line  and  plummet  could  make  it  more  true.  The 
doorway  is  in  exact  mathematical  and  artistic  proportions, 
both  with  itself  and  with  the  chamber. 

In  making  the  original  excavation,  the  pillars  were  left 
in  rough  masses,  and  were  afterwards  trimmed  down  each 
to  the  same  form  and  dimensions.  What  skill  was  requisite 
for  this,  when  a single  miscalculation,  or  a false  blow  of 
the  chisel  would  have  ruined  irreparably  the  whole  excava- 
tion ! A broken  column  in  a building  may  be  restored ; but 
in  an  excavation,  no  such  injury  could  be  repaired.  The 
walls  were  then  trimmed  down  and  prepared  to  receive  the 
frescoes.  Some  of  these  are  executed  with  great  delicacy 
and  taste.  Here  is  a picture  of  a bird  about  the  size  of  a 
canary,  which  though  painted  more  than  thirty-five  hundred 
years  ago,  is  quite  fresh  in  color,  and  which  is  as  perfect  in 
outline,  in  proportion,  and  in  finish,  as  most  frescoes  of 
modern  times.  It  will  compare  favorably  with  the  famous 
Mosaic  of  the  cat  and  the  bird  from  Pompeii,  now  in  the 
Museo  Bourbonico  at  Naples.  There  are  pictures,  also,  in 
which  perspective  is  introduced,  so  that  animals  and  men 
appear  in  groups  behind  each  other  in  their  true  propor- 
tions. Fish  are  admirably  drawn.  Several  wrestling  scenes 
exhibit  fine  muscular  action.  Various  games  and  feats  of 


ANTIQUITY  OF  ART  AND  SCIENCE. 


265 


agility  are  introduced ; also,  hunting  scenes.  Agriculture, 
working  in  glass,  in  gold,  in  clay,  and  in  flax  — all  the  com- 
mon trades,  and  the  arts  of  painting  and  statuary,  are  here 
depicted.  The  principal'  failure  of  the  artist,  is  in  the 
representation  of  trees  and  flowers,  and  in  the  perspective 
of  landscapes. 

Who  made  these  tombs  ? Barbarians  ? Infants  ? Or  men 
of  genius  in  a golden  age  of  art  ? Who  paid  for  such  works? 
These  were  not  the  tombs  of  kings,  but  of  private  persons  — 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city  of  Nus,  that  once  stood  upon  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river.  Was  not  that  a golden  age,  in 
which  wealth  flowed  in  such  channels  ? Did  not  Egypt 
teach  Greece  and  Rome  ? Diodorus  acknowledges  that  the 
Greeks  derived  from  the  Egyptians  much  of  their  mythology 
respecting  Hades  and  the  future  state.  We  have  already 
seen  that  the  idea  of  Charon  and  his  boat  was  suggested  by 
the  practice  of  ferrying  the  dead  across  the  Nile,  and  by 
the  sacred  lake,  to  their  tombs  in  the  mountains.  Greek 
poetry  was  Egyptian  fact.  The  Greeks  borrowed  in  art  as 
well  as  in  theology.  The  golden  ages  of  Greece  and  Rome 
derived  much  of  their  splendor  from  the  prior  golden  age 
of  Egypt. 

Though  the  tradition  of  the  foundation  of  Attica  by  an 
Egyptian  colony,  led  by  Cecrops,  is  not  confirmed  by  au- 
thentic history,  yet  the  fact  that  before  the  conquests  of 
Alexander,  Egypt  had  become  the  resort  of  the  scholars  of 
Greece,  that  her  poets,  her  historians,  her  philosophers,  her 
astronomers,  and  her  mathematicians  resorted  to  Heliopolis, 
as  the  scholars  of  our  time  resort  to  Oxford  and  to  Berlin, 
and  the  fact  that  after  the  foundation  of  Alexandria,  the 
treasures  of  classic  Greece  herself,  found  in  Egypt  an  asy- 
lum from  the  decay  of  luxury  and  the  desolation  of  war, 
are  proof  of  the  intimate  relations  between  the  two  coun- 
tries, and  of  the  influence  of  Egyptian  civilization  upon  the 
23 


266 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


civilization  of  Attica.  The  extraordinary  impulse  given  to 
the  arts  of  architecture  and  of  statuary  in  Greece,  from  the 
middle  of  the  seventh  century  before  Christ,  when  Egypt, 
“ which  until  then  had  been  jealously  closed  against  foreign 
settlers,  was  thrown  open  for  permanent  and  friendly  inter- 
course to  the  Greeks,”  argues,  — as  even  the  advocates  of 
an  independent  Greek  development  are  constrained  to 
admit,  — that  at  least  “ the  Greek  artists  there  became  ac- 
quainted with  various  technical  processes,  with  which  the 
Egyptians  had  long  been  familiar,  and  that,  by  this  fortunate 
assistance,  Greek  art  at  once  advanced  from  a state  of  com- 
parative rudeness,  to  a level  with  that  of  Egypt.”* 

It  was  not  for  nought  that  Homer,  Thales,  Solon,  Pythag- 
oras, Hecatseas,  Herodotus,  Plato,  Eudoxus,  Euclid,  Dio- 
nysius, and  many  others  of  the  distinguished  sons  of 
Greece,  resorted  to  Egypt  for  travel  and  for  study,  some  of 
them  residing  there  for  years  in  the  universities  under  the 
care  of  the  priests.  Greek  artists,  also,  went  to  study  in 
Egypt,  as  modern  artists  in  Italy. f 

Rude,  stiff,  and  even  grotesque,  as  many  of  the  old 
Egyptian  monuments  appear,  because  of  the  religious  and 
conventional  forms  to  which  the  artists  were  obliged  to 
adhere,  there  are  yet  traces  of  the  grand  and  the  beautiful, 
of  a chaste  and  severe  simplicity,  and  of  a refined  and  deli- 
cate taste,  worthy  of  the  esthetic  atmosphere  of  Greece. 
“ The  vases  of  the  Egyptians  frequently  bear  so  strong  a 
resemblance  to  those  of  Greece,  that  we  might  feel  dis- 
posed to  consider  them  borrowed  from  Greek  models,  did 
not  their  known  antiquity  forbid  such  a conclusion ; and 
many  have  mistaken  the  ornamental  devices  attached  to 
them,  and  to  other  fancy  works  of  Egyptian  art,  for  the 
productions  of  Greek  sculptors.  How  that  we  are  ac- 


Schmitz,  History  of  Greece,  p.  172. 


f Wilkinson,  iii.  166. 


TRUE  ANTIQUITY  OF  EGYPT. 


267 


quainted  with  the  dates  of  the  Egyptian  monuments,  the 
square  border  and  scrolls  so  common  on  Athenian,  Sicilian, 
Etruscan,  and  Graeco-Italian  vases,  are  shown  to  be,  from 
the  most  remote  time,  among  the  ordinary  devices  on  cups, 
and  the  ceilings  of  tombs,  at  Thebes  and  other  places ; and 
the  graceful  curve  of  the  Egyptian  cornice,  which,  not  con- 
fined to  architecture,  is  repeated  on  vases,  and  numerous 
articles  of  furniture,  was  evidently  adopted  for  the  same 
ornamental  purpose  by  the  Greeks.”* 

There  can  be  no  question,  that  not  only  the  material  arts 
of  civilized  life,  but  the  fine  arts  also,  attained  in  Egypt  a 
high  state  of  development  long  before  the  era  of  the  arts  in 
Greece ; for  when,  after  Psammetichus  had  raised  himself 
to  the  throne  by  the  help  of  Greek  mercenaries,  Egypt  was 
thrown  open  to  the  Greeks,  Egyptian  art  was  already  in 
its  decline,  and  it  was  soon  after  prostrated  by  the  Persian 
invasion,  which  not  only  marred  the  temples  on  the  soil, 
but  also  transported  the  artists  of  the  Nile  to  the  banks  of 
the  Euphrates,  and  there  compelled  them  to  record  upon 
their  own  mutilated  statues  the  triumphs  of  their  con- 
querors. 

Humboldt  recognizes  a grand  “ epoch  of  human  civiliza- 
tion in  the  valley  of  the  Nile,”  centuries  before  its  trans- 
mission to  Greece.  Indeed,  he  regards  this  as  the  earliest 
development  of  civilization,  a “ national  cultivation,”  which 
was  “ early  awakened  and  arbitrarily  modelled,  owing  to  the 
mental  requirements  of  the  people,  the  peculiar  physical 
character  of  the  country,  and  its  hierarchical  and  political 
institutions.” 

The  vast  resources  of  the  Nile  valley,  and  its  isolated 
position  between  two  mountain  ranges  and  outlying  deserts, 
not  only  contributed  to,  but  almost  necessitated,  the  early 


* Wilkinson,  iii.  88. 


268 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


development  of  civilization.  The  enormous  productiveness 
of  the  country  is  shown  by  the  fact,  that  even  after  the 
desolation  of  successive  conquests,  it  continued  to  be,  as  of 
old,  the  granary  of  the  world.  “ Even  after  it  had  become 
a Roman  province,  Egypt  continued  to  be  the  seat  of  im- 
mense wealth,  for  the  increased  luxury  of  Rome,  under  the 
Caesars,  reached  to  the  territory  of  the  Nile,  and  turned  to 
the  universal  commerce  of  Alexandria  for  the  chief  means 
of  its  satisfaction.”  * Under  the  last  and  most  indolent  of 
the  Ptolemies,  the  revenue  of  Egypt  is  said  to  have 
amounted  to  twelve  millions  of  dollars.!  This  vast  indi- 
genous wealth  of  Egypt  was  expended  in  national  works, 
and  hence  the  rapid  progress  of  the  nation  in  the  physical 
sciences  and  the  mechanic  arts.  Egyptian  art,  as  seen  in 
writing  and  in  sculpture,  is  as  old  as  the  history  of  the 
nation. 

At  this  point,  a learned  scepticism  sets  up  a claim  for  the 
remote  antiquity  of  the  nation,  prior  to  its  known  history ; — 
what  Bunsen  styles  a period  of  Origines , and  Lepsius  of 
“ development.”  The  existence  of  language  and  of  a 
mythology,  says  Bunsen,  demand  a preceding  era  of  pro- 
gress. Lepsius,  after  placing  Menes  at  least  3900  b.  c.,  and 
the  pyramids  only  five  hundred  years  later,  remarks,  that 
“ a thousand  years  at  least,  and  probably  still  more,  must  be 
conjectured  for  the  gradual  growth  of  a civilization  which 
had  been  completed,  and  had  in  part  begun  to  degenerate, 
at  least  3430  b.  c.”  Humboldt  follows  Lepsius  in  this.J 
Gibbon,  as  we  have  seen,  attempts  to  turn  this  alleged 
necessity  of  a long  series  of  improvements  against  the 
chronological  data  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures. 

This  argument  proceeds  upon  the  assumption,  that  man 
began  his  existence  in  a state  of  infancy,  and  was  left  to  the 


* Kosmos  11, 171. 


t Gibbon. 


J Kosmos  11, 144. 


TRUE  ANTIQUITY  OF  EGYPT. 


269 


unassisted  development  of  his  own  powers.  But  this  as- 
sumption is  wholly  gratuitous.  The  Book  of  Genesis,  con- 
fessedly the  most  ancient  writing  in  the  world,  and  which, 
as  Bunsen  says,  has  no  appearance  of  exaggerating  its  own 
antiquity,  represents  man  as  introduced  into  the  world  by 
the  Creator,  in  the  maturity  of  his  powers,  and  as  started 
upon  his  career  by  the  specific  instruction  and  counsels  of 
'Jehovah.  Now,  without  insisting  upon  the  historic  truth  of 
this  narrative,  it  is  enough  that  we  take  this  as  a possible 
theory  of  the  origin  of  man.  We  have  as  good  a right  in 
logic  and  in  fact,  to  this  theory,  as  the  savans  referred  to 
have  to  the  opposite  theory.  Indeed,  with  the  document  in 
our  favor,  we  challenge  them  to  disprove  it.  This  theory 
offsets  their  theory  of  development,  and  until  it  is  disproved 
from  scientific  or  historical  data , it  is  a sufficient  answer  to 
their  objections . Assuming  this  to  have  been  the  true  origin 
of  man,  there  was  no  need  of  interminable  ages  for  his 
development;  and  the  children  of  men  who  built  the  ark 
and  the  tower  of  Babel,  could  build  Thebes,  Memphis,  and 
the  pyramids,  within  the  time  which  the  chronology  of  the 
Septuagint  allows  between  the  flood  and  the  era  of  these 
monuments.  In  the  fourth  chapter  of  Genesis,  mention  is 
made  of  the  invention  of  instruments  of  music,  and  of  arti- 
ficers in  brass  and  iron ; and  the  building  of  the  ark  shows 
what  progress  had  been  made  in  the  mechanic  arts  by  the 
time  of  Noah.  Of  course,  the  arts  known  before  the  flood 
were  preserved  in  the  family  of  Noah,  and  were  transmitted 
by  them  to  their  posterity.  The  immediate  descendants  of 
Noah  built  cities,  and  founded  mighty  empires.  The  men 
of  Shinar  knew  how  to  build  stupendous  fabrics  of  brick 
and  mortar.  If,  then,  we  receive  the  Book  of  Genesis  as 
a true  history  of  the  antediluvian  world,  all  the  data 
necessary  to  account  for  the  early  development  of  art  in 
Egypt,  and  for  its  stupendous  monuments,  are  given  in 
23* 


270 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


that  book,  and  we  have  no  occasion  for  a fabulous  era  of 
Origines. 

The  theory  that  the  human  race  began  its  existence  at  the 
lowest  stage  of  barbarism,  is  neither  demanded  nor  war- 
ranted by  any  known  facts.  There  is  no  evidence  that  a 
state  of  barbarism  is  the  normal  condition  of  man.  On  the 
contrary,  the  evidence  is  rather  that  barbarism,  wherever 
found,  is  a decline  from  a previous  state  of  civilization.  In 
most  uncivilized  countries  there  are  traces  of  a religious 
knowledge  superior  to  the  prevailing  superstitions  of  the 
people,  and  in  many  also  there  are  monuments  of  art,  which 
are  as  great  a mystery  to  the  present  inhabitants,  as  are  the 
monuments  of  ancient  Egypt  to  the  Arab  fellahs^  now  upon 
her  soil.  Progress  is  not  the  invariable  law  of  the  human 
race.  We  witness  deterioration  and  decay  in  Greece,  in 
Rome,  in  Egypt,  in  Palestine,  in  Assyria,  in  India.  With 
respect  to  his  capacity  for  development,  man  may  have  stood 
higher  at  the  creation  than  he  stood  at  the  flood,  because  in 
nearer  sympathy  with  that  spiritual  truth  and  life,  that  give 
strength,  beauty,  energy,  and  symmetry  to  all  intellectual 
activities.  At  all  events,  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  early 
state  of  mankind  will  stand  as  a theory  against  the  theory 
of  barbarism  urged  by  savans,  until  they  upon  whom  rests 
the  burden  of  proof,  make  good  their  objections. 

In  his  latest  announcements,  Lepsius  settles  upon  3893 
b.  c.  as  the  era  of  Menes,  which  was  five  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  years  before  the  commonly  received  era  of  the  flood. 
But  Bunsen  makes  the  era  of  Menes  3643  b.  c.,  more  than 
two  hundred  years  later.  Poole,  as  we  have  seen,  has  de- 
monstrated from  the  monuments  and  from  astronomical  data, 
that  Menes  cannot  date  further  back  than  2717  b.  c. ; still 
three  hundred  and  seventy-three  years  before  the  flood, 
according  to  Usher  and  the  Hebrew  text.  But  if  we  follow 
Dr.  Hales  and  the  Septuagint,  and  place  the  deluge  3155 


TRUE  ANTIQUITY  OF  EGYPT 


271 


B.  c.,  we  then  have  four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  years  for 
the  development  of  art  in  Egypt  before  Menes,  and  in  a 
country  and  climate  that  highly  favored,  if  indeed  they  did 
not  necessitate,  such  a development.  Then,  if  with  Hales 
we  fix  the  creation  at  5411  b.  c.,  we  have  more  than  twelve 
hundred  years  additional  to  answer  the  purpose  of  Bunsen’s 
preliminary  period  of  Origines  ; and  these  dates  we  assume 
not  arbitrarily,  but  on  the  authority  of  the  oldest  version 
from  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  which,  for  aught  we  know, 
may  have  followed  the  numbers  of  the  original  text  more 
strictly  than  do  the  later  copies  of  the  Hebrew.  The  great 
antiquity  of  Egyptian  art,  therefore,  while  on  the  one  hand 
it  illustrates  and  confirms  the  frequent  allusions  to  arts  in 
the  books  of  Moses,  upon  the  other,  does  not  invalidate 
the  historic  testimony  of  those  same  books  as  to  the  com- 
paratively recent  origin,  and  the  rapid  increase  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Human  family.  The  most  admiring  Egyptologist 
may,  at  the  same  time,  be  a most  implicit  believer  in  the 
historic  verity  of  the  books  of  Moses.  Half  a century  ago, 
Dr.  Chalmers  boldly  declared,  that  “ the  writings  of  Moses 
do  not  fix  the  antiquity  of  the  globe ; ” and  the  geological 
discussions  of  the  last  fifty  years  have  proved,  that  the  fear 
of  Christians  lest  the  speculations  of  geologists  should  under- 
mine our  faith  in  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  was  a 
“ false  alarm.”  Our  faith  in  the  Mosaic  cosmogony  is  not  at 
all  disturbed  by  the  recent  declaration  of  Hugh  Miller,  that 
new  facts  of  geology,  scientifically  determined,  now  demand 
a new  scheme  of  reconciliation  for  geology  and  the  Mosaic 
record.  Even  so  with  the  antiquity  of  art,  and  with  the 
monumental  records  of  Egypt.  Let  us  give  place  to  no 
false  alarm  for  the  word  of  God.  The  writings  of  Moses 
do  not  fix  the  chronology  of  the  primeval  history  of  man. 

As  the  positive  influence  of  Egypt  upon  Greece  has  been 
underrated,  I adduce  at  length  the  views  of  the  distin- 
guished Lepsius. 


272 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


“ The  distinguished  series  of  celebrated  men  who  are  said 
to  have  carried  Egyptian  wisdom  to  the  Greeks,  begins  as 
early  as  the  mythical  times.  Danaus  brought  the  first  germ 
of  higher  civilization  from  Egypt  to  Argos,  and  Erectheus, 
king  of  Athens,  was  considered  by  some  an  Egyptian,  and 
taught  the  Eleusinian  mysteries  according  to  the  manner  of 
the  Egyptians.  The  holy  singers  of  antiquity,  Orpheus, 
Musaeus,  Melampus,  and  Eumolpus,  thence  acquired  their 
theological  wisdom ; and  even  to  Homer  himself,  Egypt 
may  not  have  been  unknown.  The  most  ancient  artists  of 
Greece,  Daedalus,  Telecles,  and  Theodoras,  are  said  to 
have  educated  themselves  in  this  land  of  primeval  art,  and 
to  have  employed  the  Egyptian  canon  of  proportions. 
Lycurgus  and  Solon  introduced  into  their  father-land  all  the 
wise  regulations  they  became  acquainted  with ; and  Herod- 
otus, especially,  tells  us  that  the  Egyptian  laws  relating  to 
the  surveying  of  the  land,  by  which  every  one  was  obliged 
to  declare  to  the  monarch  his  annual  revenue,  were  trans- 
ferred to  Athens  by  Solon,  and  were  in  use  even  in  his 
time.  Cleobulus,  the  son  of  Lindus,  is  said  also  to  have 
visited  Egypt.  It  signifies  little  how  much  historical  foun- 
dation there  is  for  these  accounts.  The  general  direction 
taken  by  tradition,  with  reference  to  it,  proves  even  more 
than  separate  facts  could  do,  the  early  and  late  general  uni- 
versal recognition  of  Egyptian  wisdom.  It  was  considered 
a glory  to  participate  in  it. 

“ But  Egypt  was  especially  regarded  as  a university  for 
philosophy,  and  for  all  that  could  be  gained  through  science 
and  learning.  We  therefore  see  philosophers,  mathemati- 
cians, physicians,  historians,  resorting  to  Egypt,  each  emu- 
lating with  the  other,  and  studying  for  many  years  under 
Egyptian  teachers.  The  houses  in  Heliopolis  in  which 
Plato  and  the  mathematician  Eudoxus  had  lived  for  thir- 
teen years,  were  still  shown  to  Strabo.  The  observatory  of 


TRUE  ANTIQUITY  OF  EGYPT. 


273 


Eudoxus,  in  which  he  is  said  to  have  made  certain  observa- 
tions of  the  stars,  and  on  Canobus  in  particular,  bore  his 
name  in  the  time  of  Strabo.  Even  Thales  was  instructed 
by  the  Egyptian  priests,  and  as  it  is  expressly  said,  had  be- 
sides them  no  other  teachers.  Here  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  division  of  the  year  into  seasons,  and  into  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  days ; and  here,  also,  he  learnt  how 
to  take  the  measurement  of  high  objects,  such  as  the  pyra- 
mids by  their  shadow,  at  a particular  hour  of  the  day. 
Archimedes  invented  his  celebrated  water  screw  in  Egypt, 
and  there  applied  it  in  the  establishments  which  were  de- 
voted to  the  irrigation  of  the  land.  Pythagoras  was  a long 
time  in  Egypt,  and  all  that  we  know  concerning  the  dogmas 
of  this  influential  man  agrees  with  this  account.  His  doc- 
trine of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  especially,  is  very 
decidedly  referred  by  Herodotus  to  Egypt.  And  it  is  in 
fact  now  sufficiently  known  from  the  monuments,  that  the 
Egyptians  possessed  from  the  earliest  times  very  distinct 
ideas  about  the  transmigration  of  souls,  and  of  judgment 
after  death.  The  philosophers,  Anaxagorus,  Democritus, 
Sphaerus,  the  mathematician  Oinopides,  the  physician  Chry- 
sippus,  also  Alcaeus  and  Euripides,  are  enumerated  among 
the  visitors  to  Egypt.  Finally,  the  same  is  known  of  Heca- 
teus,  Herodotus,  Diodorus,  Strabo,  and  many  less  celebrated 
Greeks.”  * 


* Letters,  Bohn,  p.  383. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

CLIMATE  OF  THE  NILE A CHAPTER  FOR  INVALIDS. 

The  great  benefit  which,  through  the  blessing  of  God,  I 
have  myself  experienced  from  the  effect  of  travel  in  more 
genial  climates  upon  a pulmonic  or  a bronchial  affection,  in- 
duces me  to  record  some  notes  of  climate,  taken  upon  the 
way,  for  the  use  of  other  invalids.  A change  of  climate 
should  be  very  early  tried  in  pulmonary  complaints,  and 
should  be  persisted  in  long  enough  to  influence  the  entire 
constitution.  When  resorted  to  by  the  consumptive  as  a last 
expedient,  a change  of  climate  is  of  little  avail.  It  is  com- 
monly to  leave  the  comforts  and  the  sympathies  of  home,  to 
die  among  strangers.  But  better  counsels  are  beginning  to 
prevail ; and  possibly  these  few  suggestions  may  not  be 
without  their  value,  to  some  who  are  struggling  with  insidi- 
ous disease. 

If  I may  venture  an  unprofessional  opinion  — the  result 
of  some  observation  and  experience  in  pulmonary  diseases  — 
it  is,  that  so  far  as  the  mere  breathing  is  concerned,  it 
matters  little  what  is  the  quality  of  the  atmosphere  (if  it  is 
not  vitiated)  whether  moist  or  dry,  cold  or  hot.  The  effect 
of  atmospheric  changes  upon  the  skin  and  upon  the  general 
tone  of  the  system,  is  even  more  to  be  dreaded  than  their 
direct  action  upon  the  throat  or  lungs.  In  such  diseases, 
the  all-important  thing  is  to  keep  up  the  tone  of  the  system, 
and  especially  to  do  this,  if  possible,  without  the  use  of 
medicines  or  of  high  stimulants.  The  air  being  the  vital- 


CLIMATE  OF  THE  NILE. 


275 


izer  of  the  blood,  a person  of  a consumptive  habit,  or  in  the 
incipient  stages  of  the  disease,  should  live  as  much  as  possi- 
ble in  the  open  air , merely  guarding  against  taking  cold 
from  sudden  changes  of  temperature,  or  from  exposure  to 
currents  of  air.  The  air  is  the  proper  nutriment  of  the 
lungs,  and  if  inhaled  habitually  through  the  nostrils , and 
not  through  the  mouth  there  is  little  danger  that  even  at 
a very  low  rate  of  temperature  it  will  injure  the  lungs  by 
simple  contact. 

Nor  can  I perceive  that  the  presence  of  moisture  in  the 
atmosphere  is,  in  itself,  detrimental  to  the  lungs.  Having 
spent  three  months  in  England  in  the  fall  of  the  year, 
including  the  damp  month  of  November  in  London,  I can 
testify  that  the  climate  of  England  is  not  unfavorable  for 
pulmonary  invalids  from  the  United  States.  Indeed,  I 
found  a sojourn  in  England  conducive  in  every  way  to  the 
restoration  of  health  and  strength.  The  reason  of  this  is, 
that  while  there  is  a superabundance  of  moisture  in  the 
atmosphere,  the  temperature  is  comparatively  equable,  and 
there  are  few  great  or  sudden  changes.  And,  besides  this, 
knowing  himself  to  be  in  a moist  climate,  one  naturally  pro- 
vides himself  with  warm  clothing  ; while  in  English  houses 
there  is  every  facility  for  a cheerful  fire  whenever  this  is 
needed.  Moreover  the  tone  of  the  climate  there  admits  of 
a generous  diet,  which,  above  all  things,  is  the  antidote  to 
such  diseases ; for  it  is  through  the  general  tone  of  the  sys- 
tem, and  the  improved  quality  of  the  blood,  that  these  are  to 
be  Reached,  rather  than  by  specific  local  applications.  Me- 
chanical and  dietetic  treatment,  — friction,  gymnastics,  out- 
door exercise,  cold  water,  good  living,  — these  are  the 
requisites,  rather  than  the  medication  of  any  “ school.”  I 
must  say,  then,  though  it  be  contrary  to  the  books,  that 
jaunting  in  England,  roaming  free  and  joyous  amid  its  ever 
diversified  and  ever  beauteous  scenes,  and  partaking  of  its 


276 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


substantial  comforts,  is  a good  thing  for  pulmonic  com- 
plaints, — the  mist  and  the  rain  notwithstanding.  Besides, 
England  is  not  all  mist  and  rain,  but  has  its  bright  skies 
and  its  sweet  sunshine. 

The  climate  of  Paris  is  good,  though  having,  perhaps, 
greater  extremes  both  of  heat  and  of  cold  than  the  average 
climate  of  England,  In  the  main,  the  air  of  Paris  is 
remarkably  clear,  pure,  and  genial ; but,  at  times,  a dense, 
chilling  fog  arises  from  the  Seine,  that  flows  through  the 
heart  of  the  city,  and  the  Parisian  houses  are  not  arranged, 
and  the  Parisians  are  not  accustomed,  to  resist  this  by  a 
good  cheerful  fire.  An  invalid  may  do  well  in  Paris,  if  he 
selects  a house  that  has  the  convenience  of  a fireplace,  or  is 
with  a family  somewhat  Americanized. 

Travelling  over  the  mountains  of  Switzerland  for  a 
month,  I found  the  bracing  influence  of  mountain  air  and 
of  pedestrian  exercise  counteracted  by  the  extremes  of  tem- 
perature, which  sometimes  extended  over  forty  degrees  in 
twenty-four  hours.  It  was  summer  and  winter,  melting 
heat  and  freezing  cold,  in  the  course  of  each  day’s  march. 
For  health,  it  were  better  to  visit  Switzerland  in  July  and 
August,  than  in  September  and  October ; though  the  gran- 
deur of  the  mountains,  and  the  glory  of  the  sky,  are  en- 
hanced in  the  latter  months. 

The  climate  of  Rome  is  strongly  recommended  by  physi- 
cians for  pulmonary  complaints ; and  Rome  is  a favorite 
resort  of  invalids  from  England  and  the  United  States, 
because,  besides  a good,  clear,  balmy  air,  they  may  there 
find  intelligent  society  and  a continual  fund  of  amusement. 
But  there  is  one  important  qualification  respecting  the  cli- 
mate of  Rome.  While  in  the  same  exposure  there  is  little 
variation  of  temperature,  and  while  the  atmosphere  is 
remarkably  still,  yet  in  different  parts  of  the  city  the  tem- 
perature varies  so  as  to  expose  an  invalid  to  taking  cold 


CLIMATE  OF  THE  NILE. 


277 


whenever  he  goes  out.  For  example,  you  walk  upon  the 
Pincio  in  a bright  sun  and  a fresh  balmy  air,  and  feel  all 
the  exhilaration  of  a new  life;  you  come  down  the  long 
flight  of  steps  at  the  Piazza  di  Spagna  and  descend  to  the 
Corso , and  it  is  like  going  into  a vault ; or  you  ride  out  in 
an  open  carriage  along  the  Appian  way,  and  bask  in  the 
sun  without  the  walls ; but  returning,  you  must  plunge  into 
narrow,  sunless  streets,  and  feel  the  chill  of  winter.  You 
pace  a street  running  ea&t  and  west,  and  on  its  sunny  side 
you  find  the  most  genial  September ; you  turn  the  corner 
of  a street  running  north  and  south,  and  encounter  the  keen 
wind  of  December  from  mountains  of  snow.  A tolerable 
safeguard  against  this  is  a Spanish  cloak,  which  may  be 
thrown  off  and  on,  made  light  or  heavy  at  pleasure.  Rome 
is  a good  place  for  a pulmonary  invalid,  if  he  is  very  careful 
not  to  catch  cold ; for,  as  I have  said  before,  it  is  not  the 
contact  of  the  air  with  the  lungs  by  breathing , but  its  contact 
with  the  shin , checking  perspiration  or  imparting  a sudden 
chill,  that  is  most  to  be  feared.  Let  the  invalid  keep  thor- 
oughly warm,  and  the  coldness  or  humidity  of  the  atmo- 
sphere are  of  little  account.  But  the  climate  of  Rome  is 
comparatively  warm  and  dry.  Yet  it  is  not  well  for  an 
invalid  to  settle  down  in  any  place  with  other  invalids, 
where  health  is  the  absorbing  topic  of  thought  and  of  con- 
versation. 

Nice  does  not  enjoy  its  former  reputation  as  a winter 
resort  for  invalids.  While  in  the  main  its  skies  are  balmy 
and  its  atmosphere  is  bland,  it  sometimes  feels  chill  wintry 
blasts  from  the  mountains,  and  its  streets  are  sometimes 
covered  with  as  vile  a posh  as  ever  tested  Goodyear’s 
patent  gum  elastics  on  Broadway. 

A better  place  is  Mentone,  some  three  hours  east  of  Nice, 
along  the  Riviera , a pleasant  village  facing  the  sea,  and 
nestling  so  closely  under  the  lee  of  the  mountains,  that  it  is 
24 


278 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


completely  shielded  from  north  winds,  and  enjoys  an  equa- 
ble temperature.  Its  accommodations  are  as  yet  indiffer- 
ent, but  arrangements  are  making  to  improve  them.  This 
is  a cheap  as  well  as  healthful  resort. 

Naples  is  a favorite  winter  residence  of  the  English,  and 
its  climate  is  one  of  the  loveliest  in  the  world.  It  has  the 
drawbacks  incident  to  a proximity  to  the  sea ; but  is,  on  the 
whole,  quite  favorable  to  pulmonary  invalids. 

Malta  has  a very  uniform  climate,  and  it  is  highly 
recommended  by  physicans;  but  when  I was  there  the 
sky  was  remarkably  addicted  to  sudden  and  drenching 
showers,  and  the  atmosphere  was  often  humid ; yet  there 
was  no  room  in  the  hotel  that  admitted  of  any  other  fire 
than  a warming-pan  of  charcoal.  One  might  do  "well  in 
Malta  if  he  should  get  into  fit  quarters ; but  after  all, 
as  the  old  lady  said  of  her  one  room,  it.  is  “ too  narrow- 
contracted  for  any  thing.”  You  can  explore  the  whole 
island  in  three  days,  and  then  — where  are  you?  With 
little  to  divert  the  mind,  just  planning  to  take  care  of  your 
health. 

The  climate  of  Upper  Egypt  is  uniformly  dry.  In  more 
than  two  months  I did  not  see  a drop  of  rain  in  Egypt, 
except  at  Alexandria  on  the  * sea-coast.  Yet  this  was  the 
season  for  rain.  It  is  as  true  now  as  it  was  twenty-five 
hundred  years  ago,  that  in  Egypt  there  is  no  rain.  Were 
it  not  for  the  Nile,  which  is  fed  by  rains  in  the  mountains 
far  to  the  south,  the  whole  land  would  bedome  a desert,  like 
that  adjoining  the  ancient  Pelusiac  branch  of  the  river  now 
dried  away.  But  the  Nile  climate,  that  is  directly  upon  the 
river,  is  not  uniformly  dry.  In  the  Delta  very  heavy  dews 
fall,  so  that  in  the  morning  the  deck  of  the  boat,  and  the 
fields  along  the  banks,  are  as  wet  as  if  there  had  been  show- 
ers by  night ; and  sometimes  a dense  fog  arises  from  the 
river.  On  the  Upper  Nile,  however,  these  phenomena  are 
seldom  witnessed. 


A CHAPTER  FOR  INVALIDS. 


279 


But  the  temperature  of  the  river  is  very  variable  — 
sometimes  passing  through  a thermometrical  range  of  30° 
in  twenty-four  hours,  and  it  is  often  quite  cold.  This  is  a 
fact  that  invalids  should  be  advised  of  before  setting  out  on 
this  long  voyage,  so  that  they  may  provide  sufficient  clothing 
and  bedding.  F or  the  want  of  the  latter  our  party  suffered 
much  from  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  and  I took  the  most  horri- 
ble cold  I ever  had.  As  the  Nile  boats  are  built  for  warm 
weather,  the  only  provision  the  traveller  can  make  against 
cold  is  by  increased  clothing.  W e hired  a furnished  boat ; 
and  as  during  our  stay  in  Alexandria  the  thermometer  had 
rangqd  at  60°  by  night,  and  we  were  about  to  travel  south- 
ward, it  never  occurred  to  us  that  a blanket  and  a thin 
coverlet  apiece  would  not  be  a sufficient  covering.  But 
when  the  thermometer  stood  at  38°  at  sunrise,  we  realized 
our  mistake ; and  I hereby  caution  all  Nile  voyagers  to 
look  well  to  their  bedding.  I exposed  the  thermometer 
daily  in  the  open  air,  apart  from  sun  or  current,  at  sunrise, 
at  two  P.  M.,  and  at  sunset.  A few  extracts  from  the  regis- 
ter will  serve  to  show  the  variations. 


Jan.  17,  in  the  Delta, 

44 

68° 

61° 

“ 19,  dense  fog, 

45 

70 

61 

“ 20, 

49 

64 

63 

“ 21,  near  Cairo, 

38 

67 

64 

“ 26,  south  wind, 

46 

62 

S 

Feb.  3,  latitude  28, 

56 

76 

72 

“ 5, 

62 

67 

68 

“ 8,  latitude  27, 

48 

64 

64 

“ 9, 

54 

64 

62 

“ 13,  latitude  26, 

56 

80  and  112  in  the  sun. 

“ 14, 

60 

82 

80 

“ 18, 

52 

81 

71 

“ 20,  Thebes, 

64 

88 

88 

In  March,  the  thermometer  ranged  from  50°  to  70°,  as 
we  descended  the  river,  against  a strong  north  wind. 

These  variations  are  due  in  part  to  winds  and  in  part  to 


280 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


different  positions  of  the  boat,  as  under  the  lee  of  a moun- 
tain, or  on  the  margin  of  a heated  plain ; but  they  are  such 
variations  as  the  traveller  must  experience.  The  lowest 
temperature  marked  was  38°  at  sunrise,  and  the  highest 
88°  at  noon  and  at  sunset,  a variation  of  50°  in  one  month. 
The  greatest  variation  in  one  day  was  from  38°  to  67°,  or 
29°  in  six  hours. 

The  air  of  the  Upper  Nile  is  to  be  recommended  for  its 
dryness,  its  softness,  its  purity,  and  its  general  warmth. 
But  the  great  secret  of  the  benefit  of  the  Nile  voyage  does 
not  lie  in  the  climate,  but  in  the  fact  that  ia  suck  a climate, 
with  such  sunlight,  and  among  the  palms,  the  voyager  lives 
listlessly,  and  with  such  navigation  can  diversify  his  exer- 
cise and  amusements,  from  the  boat  to  the  shore  and  from 
the  shore  to  the  boat,  as  he  pleases.  Our  dragoman,  to  be 
sure,  a native  Egyptian,  had  the  most  exalted  idea  of  the 
virtues  of  the  climate.  He  prophesied  that  the  climate  of 
the  Nile  would  cure  all  manner  of  ailments,  of  which  our 
party  of  four  presented  at  least  as  many  varieties  in  head, 
throat,  stomach,  and  limbs.  Once,  when  a sailor  had  injured 
his  knee  by  a fall  and  a contusion  of  the  cap,  the  dragoman 
gravely  assured  us  it  would  not  hurt  him,  for  though  in 
England  such  a fall  might  have  broken  his  leg  and  laid  him 
up  for  weeks,  in  thi$  climate  it  would  only  give  him  a little 
bruise ! 

After  all,  what  an  invalid  needs,  is  not  so  much  a change 
of  climate , as  a change , — the  complete  diversion  of  his  mind 
from  himself,  freedom  from  care,  — the  opportunity  and  the 
■temptation  to  enjoy  life  as  life.  For  this,  travel  in  foreign 
lands  is  preeminently  desirable.  A man  of  business,  or  a 
professional  man,  cannot  get  away  from  care  so  long  as  he 
is  within  reach  of  railroads  and  newspapers.  But  in  foreign 
lands,  among  new  scenes  and  strange  people,  he  will  find 
continual  diversion.  Travel  is  the  great  specific.  While 


A CHAPTER  FOR  INVALIDS. 


281 


one  is  able  to  travel,  let  him  do  this  rather  than  settle  in  one 
place,  however  much  recommended  by  physicians.  For  the 
Nile  voyage,  get  a good  boat ; make  it  comfortable ; have  it 
well  stocked  with  provisions  suited  to  your  constitution  and 
the  climate ; select  good  company ; have  a few  choice  books ; 
saunter  out  on  shore  as  you  have  opportunity ; give  your- 
self up  to  your  present  surroundings ; and  maintain  a daily, 
peaceful  walk  with  God ; and  if  not  the  heartiest,  you  will 
be  the  happiest  man  alive. 

Since  recording  my  own  independent  observations  upon 
the  climate  of  the  Nile  valley,  I have  read  with  much  inter- 
est the  observations  of  Mr.  Kenrick  on  the  same  point,  and 
for  the  satisfaction  of  my  readers  will  repeat  them  here. 

“ The  climate  of  Egypt  is  very  little  subject  to  the  varia- 
tions of  more  northern  regions,  or  even  of  those  adjacent  to 
it  in  position,  but  less  uniform  in  surface,  as  Syria.  The 
mean  annual  temperature  is  rather  higher  than  in  neighbor- 
ing countries  under  the  same  latitude,  being  at  Cairo  72° 
32'  Fahrenheit  (22°  above  that  of  London)  ; mean  temper- 
ature of  winter  58°  46',  of  summer  85°  10'.  Egypt  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  have  a winter  ; it  is  covered  with  ver- 
dure when  countries  of  our  latitude  are  buried  in  snow ; 
the  trees  begin  to  be  clothed  with  new  leaves  in  February, 
almost  as  soon  as  they  are  stripped  of  the  old.  The  sensa- 
tion of  cold,  however,  is  often  severe  from  the  great  differ- 
ence of  the  diurnal  and  nocturnal  temperature.”  * 

Lepsius,  whose  explorations  detained  him  long  at  Thebes, 
thus  describes  the  climate  there. 

u No  one  ever  inquires  here  about  the  weather,  for  one 
day  is  exactly  like  the  other,  serene,  clear,  and  hitherto  not 
too  hot.  We  have  no  morning  or  evening  red,  as  there  are 
neither  clouds  nor  vapors  ; but  the  first  ray  of  the  morning 


* Ancient  Egypt,  vol.  i.  p.  17. 

24* 


282 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


calls  forth  a world  of  colors  in  the  bare  and  rugged  lime- 
stone  mountains  closing  in  around  us,  and  in  the  brownish 
glittering  desert,  contrasted  with  the  black,  or  green-clothed 
lower  plain,  such  as  is  never  seen  in  northern  countries. 
There  is  scarcely  any  twilight,  as  the  sun  sinks  down  at 
once.  The  separation  of  night  and  day  is  just  as  sudden  as 
that  between  meadow  and  desert,  one  step,  one  moment, 
divides  the  one  from  the  other.  The  sombre  brilliancy  of 
the  moon  and  starlight  nights  is  so  much  the  more  refresh- 
ing to  the  eye  which  has  been  dazzled  by  the  ocean  light  of 
day.  The  air  is  so  pure  and  dry,  that  except  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity  of  the  river,  in  spite  of  the  sudden  change  at 
sunset,  there  is  no  fall  of  dew.  We  have  almost  entirely 
forgotten  what  rain  is,  for  it  is  above  six  months  since  it*  last 
rained  with  us  in  Saqara.  A few  days  ago  we  rejoiced, 
when  towards  evening  we  discovered  some  light  clouds  in 
the  sky  to  the  south-west,  which  reminded  us  of  Europe. 
Nevertheless  we  do  not  want  coolness  even  in  the  daytime, 
for  a light  wind  is  almost  always  blowing,  which  does  not 
allow  the  heat  to  become  too  oppressive.  Added  to  this, 
the  Nile  water  is  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  may  be  enjoyed 
in  great  abundance,  without  any  detriment.” 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


CAIRO  AGAIN SHOOBRA RHODA OLD  CAIRO  

THE  DERWISHES. 

It  was  not  without  regret  that  we  parted  at  Cairo  with 
the  Lotus  and  our  worthy  friends,  the  re'is,  Hassan,  and  the 
crew.  To  be  sure  the  Lotus,  which  had  been  palmed  upon 
us  at  Alexandria  at  an  exorbitant  rate,  proved  to  be  the 
hull  of  an  old  grain  boat  vamped  over ; and  though  bran 
new  with  paint,  and  very  comfortable,  was  too  logy,  and 
continually  got  aground.  Four  weeks  on  the  upward  voy- 
age, and  nineteen  days  on  the  downward,  instead  of  the 
average  of  eighteen  and  twelve  respectively,  were  rather 
aggravating  to  American  go-aheadativeness.  But  we  came 
at  last  to  enjoy  our  leisurely  progress,  and  counted  it  a per- 
fect luxury  to  be  fifty  days  without  hearing  a word  from 
any  other  part  of  the  world.  Mails  and  newspapers  were 
almost  forgotten. 

The  traveller  should  allow  himself  not  less  than  two  full 
months,  and  if  possible,  three,  for  a visit  to  Egypt ; and 
should  resign  himself  completely  to  the  uncertainties  of 
Nile  navigation.  Not  even  the  genius  and  enterprise  of  a 
Vanderbilt  could  improve  this.  To  change  Nile  navigation 
one  must  change  the  Nile.  Forty  years  ago,  one  of  my 
companions  was  kept  beating  about  for  two  weeks  in  a sloop 
on  the  Hudson,  between  New  York  and  Albany.  Then 
nobody  thought  of  jumping  overboard,  in  nature’s  primitive 
garb,  to  pull  the  sloop  with  ropes,  or  to  shove  her  along  by 


284 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


main  strength  against  wind  and  tide.  Nobody  went  aloft 
in  that  same  innocent  apparel  to  clew  up  the  sail,  making 
every  personal  consideration  bend  to  the  crisis  of  the  boat. 
After  all,  Nile  sailors  are  the  sailors  for  the  Nile ; and  it 
was  not  without  emotion  that,  dropping  our  last  backshish 
into  the  hands  of  our  crew,  we  bade  them  farewell,  and 
once  more  donkeyed  along  beneath  the  acacias  to  the  gates 
of  Cairo  the  Magnificent. 

The  name  Cairo  is  a curious  illustration  of  the  changes 
that  occur  in  proper  names.  Lepsius  gives  this  account  of 
it : “ The  town  is  never  called  any  thing  by  the  Arabs  now, 
but  Masr,  and  the  country  the  same  ; that  is  the  old 
Semitic  name,  which  is  more  easily  pronounced  by  us  in 
the  dual  termination,  Mis’raim.  It  was  only  in  the  tfnth 
century,  when  the  present  city  was  founded,  that  the  mod- 
ern Masr,  by  the  addition  el  Qahireh,  that  is  ‘the  victo- 
rious/ was  distinguished  from  the  earlier  Masr  el  Atiqeh , 
the  present  Old  Cairo.  The  Italians  then  omitted  the  h, 
which  they  could  not  pronounce,  mistook  the  Arabic  article 
el  for  their  masculine  il,  and  thus  by  its  termination,  also, 
stamped  the  whole  word  as  masculine.  Hence,  the  French 
La  Caire,  and  our  Cairo.”  * 

Welcome,  indeed,  was  the  sight  of  “ the  Magnificent,”  on 
our  return  from  the  Upper  Nile,  and  thrice  welcome  was 
the  intelligence  we  there  received  from  home.  We  devot- 
ed in  all  a fortnight  to  the  Egyptian  capital.  This  was 
none  too  much.  I have  seen  no  city  which,  in  the  winter 
and  spring,  has  a climate  so  delicious,  and  an  air  so  beauti- 
ful, or  which,  in  all  its  phases,  presents  to  the  visitor  so 
many  novelties  and  attractions.  One  never  tires  of  stroll- 
ing under  the  acacias  or  in  the  flower  gardens  of  the  Uzbe- 
ke'eh , of  witnessing  the  game  of  the  gereet,  or  throwing  the 


* Bohn,  Letters,  p.  44. 


SHOOBRA. 


285 


lance,  and  other  sports  around  the  cafes,  on  its  border,  of 
visiting  the  bazaars,  and  studying  from  every  accessible 
point  oriental  character  and  life.  But  there  are  also  special 
attractions  in  and  about  Cairo,  which  the  visitor  will  not 
overlook.  Some  four  miles  north  of  the  city,  near  the  bank 
of  the  Nile,  are  the  gardens  of  Shoobra,  a palace  built  by 
Mohammed  Ali,  and  now  belonging  to  his  youngest  son,  the 
present  governor  of  Alexandria.  The  road  to  the  palace  is 
a broad  avenue,  perfectly  smooth  and  hard,  and  lined  on 
both  sides  with  acacias,  whose  branches  intertwine,  so  as  to 
form  a complete  arbor.  I have  not  yet  been  Unter  den 
Linden  at  Berlin,  but  thus  far  1 have  seen  nothing  compar- 
able with  this  Shoobra  road.  It  is  the  Elm  street  of  New 
Haven,  widened  and  elongated ; only  the  acacia  is  more 
beautiful  than  the  elm,  and  diffuses  the  fragrance  of  its  blos- 
soms, or  droops  its  yellow-haired  pendants  over  your  path. 
Besides,  on  Elm  street,  you  catch  no  glimpses  of  the  Nile 
or  the  pyramids,  and  see  no  such  deep  and  gorgeous  blue, 
suffused  with  the  faintest  veil  of  saffron,  as  here  overhangs 
you,  and  no  such  green  as  here  carpets  the  earth.  This 
avenue  is  the  full  luxury  of  the  Orient.  To  be  sure,  on  Elm 
street  you  do  not  meet  men  dragged  in  chains  to  be  enrolled 
in  the  army,  with  a troop  of  mud-besmeared  women  scream- 
ing and  wailing  around  them ; nor  women  trudging  barefoot 
with  enormous  burdens  on  their  heads,  while  their  lords  ride 
beside  them  on  donkeys  ; nor  delicate  little  girls  scraping  up 
with  their  hands  the  street  manure,  and  putting  it  in  baskets 
on  their  heads  to  be  taken  home  and  dried  for  fuel : but 
neither  do  you  meet  the  portly  Turk  in  rich  shawl  and  tur- 
ban, mounted  on  his  noble  steed ; nor  the  Copt  with  his 
dark  turban  and  robe,  jogging  along  upon  a donkey ; nor  a 
splendid  carriage  preceded  by  couriers  with  wands  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  a portion  of  the  Pasha’s  harem,  enveloped 
in  a profusion  of  silks  and  laces,  now  taking  the  evening  air. 
— No,  there  can  be  but  one  such  avenue  as  this. 


286 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Tlie  gardens  of  Shoobra  are  laid  out  somewhat  in  Euro- 
pean style,  and  are  kept  with  great  neatness  and  care.  They 
abound  in  roses  and  geraniums  of  every  variety,  and  in 
orange  trees  of  various  qualities.  In  the  centre  of  the 
immense  plantation  is  a marble  basin  of  two  hundred  feet 
diameter,  with  water  several  feet  in  depth,  supplied  by 
machinery  from  the  Nile,  and  numerous  fountains,  with 
curious  devices,  that  scatter  their  showers  upon  every  side. 
The  whole  is  of  marble,  and  is  surrounded  with  a spacious 
corridor,  in  each  corner  of  which  is  a room  elegantly  fur- 
nished. Here,  on  a summer  evening,  while  the  fountains 
are  playing,  and  jets  of  gas  give  a fairy  illumination  to  the 
scene,  the  owner  sails  in  his  gaily  decorated  boat,  or  quietly 
inhales  his  nargileh  upon  the  central  platform,  or  lounges 
on  the  divans  under  the  corridor,  and  realizes  the  Arabian 
Nights. 

About  three  miles  south  of  Cairo,  is  the  island  of  Rhoda , 
a long,  narrow  island  walled  up  with  solid  masonry  to  resist 
the  encroachments  of  the  river.  Here  is  a palace  belonging 
to  the  governor  of  the  citadel,  which,  like  the  palace  at 
Alexandria,  exhibits  a happy  combination  of  the  European 
and  the  oriental  styles,  and  is  planned  and  furnished  with 
exquisite  taste.  The  main  saloon  is  paved  with  marble  and 
adorned  with  mirrors ; it  is  cooled  by  the  breezes  of  the 
river  admitted  through  latticed  windows,  and  by  the  gentle 
play  of  a fountain  in  its  centre.  The  gardens  of  the  late 
Ibrahim  Pasha  cover  nearly  the  whole  of  the  island.  These 
are  under  the  superintendence  of  an  English  horticulturist, 
and  contain  the  trees,  fruits,  and  flowers  of  every  clime.  A 
beautiful  artificial  grotto  of  shells,  facing  the  river,  affords  a 
cool  retreat  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  island. 

The  Nilometer,  placed  upon  this  island,  is  a graduated 
tank,  by  which  the  rise  of  the  river  is  measured.  When  it 
reaches  a certain  level,  proclamation  is  made  for  the  opening 


RHODA DER  WISHES. 


287 


of  the  sluices,  to  irrigate  the  land.  This  is  a day  of  public 
rejoicing,  celebrated  with  civic  and  religious  pomp  and 
festivity.  I see  no  warrant  in  the  location,  or  in  the  Bible 
narration,  for  the  Arab  tradition  that  at  this  island  Moses 
was  found  by  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh. 

Opposite  Rhoda  is  Geezeh , where  one  may  see  the  old 
Egyptian  method  of  hatching  chickens  from  eggs  deposited 
in  ovens.  It  was  curious  to  see  thousands  of  chicks  in  every 
stage  of  development.  The  emperor  Adrian  said  of  the 
Egyptians,  “ I wish  them  no  other  curse  than  that  they  may 
be  fed  with  their  own  chickens,  which  are  hatched  in  a way 
I am  ashamed  to  relate.” 

At  old  Cairo,  the  former  Babylon  of  Egypt,  are  the  re- 
mains of  a Roman  citadel,  within  whose  w7alls  both  Roman 
Catholics  and  Copts  now  have  their  residence  and  churches, 
the  latter  being  said  to  cover  various  points  of  interest  con- 
nected with  Moses  and  his  history.  But,  as  I have  said 
above,  these  traditions  do  not  seem  to  be  sustained  by 
physical  and  geographical  data,  or  by  any  intimations  fur- 
nished in  the  Bible.  The  citadel  itself  is  an  object  of  interest, 
both  on  account  of  its  massive  structure,  and  on  account  of 
its  heterogeneous  population  and  uses. 

The  principal  object  of  interest  at  old  Cairo,  is  the  college 
of  Dencishes  — a sort  of  Masonic  order  of  Mohammedans. 
These  have  weekly  a religious  dance,  which  we  witnessed  on 
a Friday,  the  Mohammedan  sabbath.  The  derwishes  have 
no  uniform  dress  ; some  wear  high  caps  and  very  long  hair, 
and  large  amulets,  but  others  wear  the  common  dress  of  the 
country.  Among  them  were  several  Italian  soldiers,  who 
have  enlisted  in  the  Pasha’s  army.  Their  ceremony  was 
conducted  in  a small  circular  mosque,  lighted  from  above. 
At  the  appointed  hour,  the  chief  or  sheik  entered,  and  took 
his  seat  upon  a low  divan.  Presently  three  or  four  vener- 
able men,  apparently  dignitaries,  came  in,  and  did  him  obei- 
sance by  bowing  and  kissing  his  hand,  just  as  the  cardinals 


288 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


do  homage  to  the  Pope  in  St.  Peter’s  or  the  Sistine  chapel. 
After  this,  others  entered  at  intervals,  some  twenty  in  all, 
and  fell  on  their  knees  before  the  chief,  as  the  bishops  pros- 
trate themselves  before  the  Pope.  Forming  a circle,  they 
began  a low,  monotonous  chant,  which  they  continued  for 
several  minutes ; they  then  raised  their  voices  by  degrees, 
and  accelerated  the  chant,  accompanying  it  with  a swaying 
motion  of  the  body.  By  and  by  they  rose,  chanting  with 
greater  rapidity  and  vehemence,  and  throwing  their  bodies 
into  all  manner  of  contortions.  The  chief  then  went  round 
the  circle,  and  removed  from  each  his  cap  and  outer  gar- 
ments, at  the  same  time  shouting  Ullah-ll-lah , as  if  to 
excite  them  still  more.  A boy  now  began  to  sing  in  a wild 
strain,  and  a lute  struck  in  its  soft  notes,  while  the  shouting 
rose  to  a terrific  pitch,  and  at  every  utterance  Ul  — lah  the 
head  was  thrown  forwards  and  backwards  till  it  almost 
touched  the  floor.  Rude  drums  were  next  beaten  till  the 
noise  equalled  that  of  Pandemonium.  And  now  the  steam 
was  fairly  up,  for  the  whole  circle  responded  to  the  chief, 
in  a hoarse,  coughing  note,  ugh-ugh , exactly  like  the  snort 
of  a Mississippi  high  pressure  steamboat.  This  lasted  for 
several  minutes,  accompanied  with  the  most  frantic  con- 
tortions of  body.  Indeed,  I never  saw  such  violent  muscular 
action.  Presently  one  and  another  broke  from  the  circle, 
and  began  to  whirl  upon  the  floor.  At  length  one  fell  down 
in  a terrible  fit  of  hysterics ; I thought  he  must  die  upon 
the  spot ; but  a muscular  man,  who  had  retained  his  self- 
control,  planted  his  knees  upon  his  breast,  and  pummelled 
him  into  life.  Some  of  the  most  violent  retained  their  self- 
possession,  and  became  calm  in  an  instant.  At  the  close  of 
the  ceremony  they  embraced  each  other,  received  the  bene- 
diction of  their  chief,  and  withdrew  to  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment, where  they  regaled  themselves  with  coffee  and  pipes. 

We  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  cruelties  of  super- 
stition and  fanaticism. 


CHAPTER,  XXXVI. 


% 


MOHAMMEDANISM MOSQUES  AND  PRATERS. 

The  limits  of  this  volume,  and  its  descriptive  character, 
do  not  admit  of  an  abstract  discussion  of  the  principles  and 
workings  of  Islamism ; yet  I cannot  forbear  the  attempt  to 
delineate  its  outward  aspect,  as  seen  in  the  mosques,  and  in 
the  manners  of  the  people.  The  Christian  traveller  cannot 
look  upon  the  religious  rites  of  a strange  people  with  idle 
curiosity ; he  will  desire  to  penetrate  their  meaning,  and 
the  secret  of  their  power.  And  yet  the  mere  traveller  will 
see  only  the  surface  of  things ; and  it  must  be  left  to  the 
philosophical  student  and  the  intelligent  resident  to  explore 
the  interior.  Fortunately,  Sale’s  Translation  of  the  Koran, 
Maurice’s  profound  disquisitions  on  the  Religions  of  the 
World,  and  Lane’s  graphic  chapter  on  the  Ritual  and  Moral 
Laws  of  the  Egyptians,  leave  us  little  to  desire  as  a key  to 
the  dogmas  and  practices  of  the  Mohammedan  religion. 

The  first  great  doctrine  of  this  faith  is,  the  unity  of  God. 
“ There  is  no  deity  but  God.  He  is  God;  one  God.  God  is 
the  Eternal.  He  begetteth  not,  nor  is  He  begotten;  and 
there  is  none  equal  to  Him.” 

But  in  the  origin  of  Islamism,  this  doctrine  was  not  “ the 
mere  dry  assertion  of  a school  formula;”  but  “the  an- 
nouncement of  a Living  Being,  acting,  speaking,  ruling.” 
It  was  a faith  to  be  propagated;  the  recognition  of  a 
supreme,  an  all-controlling  will,  to  be  carried  out  by  man  in 
executive  acts  for  the  honor  of  God.  This  gave  to  Mo- 
25 


290 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


hammedanism  a power  like  the  whirlwind  in  an  age  of 
universal  formalism,  deadness,  and  degeneracy.  Such  a 
belief  in  God,  as  an  absolute,  imperative  will,  when  not 
modified  by  k>ve,  is  ever  the  chief  element  and  impulse  of 
fanaticism.  But  when  the  visible  antagonism  to  this  will 
was  overcome,  when  the  idols  of  the  heathen,  and  the 
images  and  pictures  of  the  Christians  were  demolished,  and 
the  victorious  crescent  waved  from  the  Caaba  of  Mecca  to 
the  Alhambra  of  Granada,  and  especially  when  “ the  ham- 
mer of  the  Mayor  of  Paris,  and  the  heroes  in  the  Asturian 
mountains,”  held  in  check  the  followers  of  the  Prophet,  and 
the  cross  of  the  crusaders  grappled  with  the  crescent  for  the 
mastery  of  the  Holy  City,  Mohammedanism,  no  longer 
propagating,  conquering,  destroying,  sank  into  a drear  and 
dogged  fatalism. 

“ In  the  Christian  nations  which  were  permitted  to  fall 
under  the  armies  of  Islam,  almost  as'  much  as  in  those  which 
were  avowedly  Pagan,  the  sense  of  a Divine  Almighty 
Will,  to  which  all  human  wills  were  to  be  bowed,  had 
evaporated  amidst  the  worship  of  images,  amidst  moral 
corruptions,  philosophical  theories,  religious  controversies. 
Notions  about  God  more  or  less  occupied  them;  but  God 
himself  was  notin  all  their  thoughts.”*  Hence  the  fiery 
power  of  the  doctrine  of  one  living,  present  God.  But 
“because  the  Mohammedan  recognizes  a mere  will  govern- 
ing all  things,  and  that  will  not  a loving  will,  he  is  converted, 
in  the  course  of  his  history,  from  a noble  witness  of  a Per- 
sonal Being,  into  the  worshipper  of  a dead  necessity.” 
The  old  fire  of  the  system  has  died  out,  and  a dead  formal- 
ism alone  remains. 

Mohammed  incorporated  with  his  system  the  leading 
facts  both  of  Judaism  and  of  Christianity.  He  held  that 


* Maurice. 


MOHAMMEDANISM. 


291 

£rod  has  revealed  himself  to  man  through  a series  of 
prophets  and  apostles,  of  whom  he  [Mohammed]  is  the  last 
and  the  greatest.  The  six  acknowledged  prophets  of  God 
are  Adam,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses,  Jesus,  anjl  Mohammed, 
each  of  whom  superseded  his  predecessor  in  the  extent  and 
the  authority  of  his  revelation.  Hence  the  Koran  supplants 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

In  addition  to  their  mechanical  faith  in  one  God,  and  in 
Mohammed  as  his  prophet,  the  followers  of  Islam  believe, 
with  a most  superstitious  fear,  in  the  existence  of  good  and 
evil  genii.  They  believe  also  in  “the  immortality  of  the  soul, 
the  general  resurrection  and  judgment,  in  future  rewards 
and  punishments  in  Paradise  and  hell,”  and  in  a sort  of 
purgatory  for  the  faithful  who  may  fall  into  sin. 

The  sensual  pictures  of  Paradise,  given  in  the  Koran, 
are  understood  by  the  more  devout  and  learned  Muslims  to 
be  figurative ; but  they  are  generally  taken  in  a gross,  literal 
sense.  These  pictures  are  such  as  the  following  : — 

“ It  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Koran,  that  no  person  will  be 
admitted  into  Paradise  by  his  own  merit,  but  that  admission 
will  be  granted  to  the  believers  merely  by  the  mercy  of 
God  on  account  of  their  faith ; yet  that  the  felicity  of  each 
person  will  be  proportioned  to  his  good  works.  The  very 
meanest  in  Paradise  is  promised  eighty  thousand  servants, 
seventy-two  wives  of  the  girls  of  Paradise,  besides  the  wives 
he  had  in  this  world,  if  he  desire  to  have  the  latter,  and  the 
good  will  doubtless  desire  the  good,  and  a tent  erected  for 
him  of  pearls,  jacinths,  and  emeralds,  of  a very  large  ex- 
tent; and  will  be  "vyaited  on  by  three  hundred  attendants 
while  he  eats,  and,  served  in  dishes  of  gold,  whereof  three 
hundred  shall  be  set  before  him  at  once,  each  containing  a 
different  kind  of  food,  the  last  morsel  of  which  will  be  as 
grateful  as  the  first.  Wine,  also,  though  forbidden  in 
this  life,  will  yet  be  freely  allowed  to  be  drunk  in  the  next, 


292 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 

and  without  danger,  since  the  wine  of  Paradise  will  not 
inebriate.”  * 

The  first  great  duty  of  the  Muslim  is  that  of  prayer.  The 
devout  Mohammedan  performs  this  duty  five  times  a day ; 
viz.,  at  sunset,  at  nightfall,  at  daybreak,  at  noon,  and  at 
about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon.  These  seasons  must 
never  be  anticipated.  The  mosques  are  commonly  open 
throughout  the  day  for  prayers,  and  the  Imams,  or  prayer 
leaders,  are  in  attendance  at  the  stated  hours  of  prayer,  to 
lead  the  devotions  of  such  as  are  there  assembled.  During 
the  Ramazan,  or  Mohammedan  Lent,  the  mosques  are  open 
by  night  also. 

The  Muslim  repeats  his  prayers  at  the  appointed  hour 
wherever  he  may  chance  to  be,  or  however  employed.  We 
have  seen  this  illustrated  in  the  orange-merchant  at  Alex- 
andria, in  the  rets  and  the  steersman  of  our  Nile  boat,  and 
in  the  carpet-merchants  of  the  bazaar  in  Cairo.  But 
prayer,  wherever  performed,  is  strictly  an  individual  act; 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  family  prayer.  Women  seldom 
go  to  the  mosques,  and  they  seldom  pray  at  home.  On 
Friday  — the  Mohammedan  Sabbath  — a congregation 
assemble  in  the  mosque,  and  go  through  the  prayers  in 
unison.  The  Imam  then  adds  an  exposition  of  the  Koran. 

The  hour  of  prayer  is  always  announced  from  the  minaret 
of  the  mosque  by  the  muezzin,  who  chants  in  a shrill,  plain- 
tive tone  the  following  words,  repeating  each  sentence 
several  times  in  succession,  u God  is  most  Great,”  “ There 
is  no  Deity  but  God,”  “ Mohammed  is  God’s  Apostle.” 
u Come  to  prayer,”  “ Come  to  security.”  “ God  is  most 
great.”  “ There  is  no  Deity  but  God.” 

As  the  mosque  is  used  chiefly  for  prayer,  it  will  help  the 
reader  to  comprehend  the  Mohammedan  ritual,  to  give  a 


MOSQUES  AND  PRAYERS. 


293 


general  description  of  this  peculiarly  oriental  structure.  I 
was  greatly  disappointed  in  the  mosques  of  Cairo.  Few  of 
them  exhibit  any  architectural  beauty,  though  some  are 
good  specimens  of  the  Saracenic  style.  Most  of  them  have 
a shabby  look,  and  are  in  a neglected  state.  There  is  no 
taste,  or  perception  of  the  beautiful,  in  the  present  race  of 
Egypt ; only  now  and  then  some  Mohammed  Ali  springs 
up,  and  by  sheer  force  of  will  makes  advances  upon  his 
times. 

The  minute  and  accurate  sketch  of  the  interior  of  a 
mosque,  given  by  Mr.  Lane,  is  so  much  better  than  any 
which  I could  draw,  that  I take  the  liberty  of  substituting  it 
for  my  own  description. 

“ Some  of  the  mosques  of  Cairo  are  so  large  as  to  occupy 
spaces  three  or  four  hundred  feet  square.  They  are  mostly 
built  of  stone,  the  alternate  courses  of  which  are  generally 
colored  externally  red  and  white.  Most  commonly  a large 
mosque  consists  of  porticos  surrounding  a square,  open  court, 
in  the  centre  of  which  is  a tank  or  a fountain  for  ablution. 
One  side  of  the  building  faces  the  direction  of  Mecca,  and 
the  portico  on  this  side  being  the  principal  place  of  prayer, 
is  more  spacious  than  those  on  the  three  other  sides  of  the 
court ; it  generally  has  two  or  more  rows  of  columns,  form- 
ing so  many  aisles  parallel  with  the  exterior  wall.  In  some 
cases,  this  portico,  like  the  other  three,  is  open  to  the  court ; 
in  other  cases  it  is  separated  from  the  court  by  partitions  of 
wood,  connecting  the  front  row  of  columns.  In  the  centre 
of  its  exterior  wall  is  the  “mehrab,”  or  niche,  which  marks 
the  direction  of  Mecca,  and  to  the  right  of  this  is  the  “ mim- 
bar,”  or  pulpit.  Opposite  the  mehrab  in  the  fore  part  of 
the  portico,  or  in  its  central  part,  there  is  generally  a plat- 
form, called  dikkeh,  surrounded  by  a parapet,  and  supported 
by  small  columns ; and  by  it,  or  before  it,  are  one  or  two 
seats,  having  a kind  of  desk  to  bear  a volume  of  the  Koran, 
25* 


294 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


from  which  a chapter  is  read  to  the  congregation.  The 
walls  are  generally  quite  plain,  being  simply  whitewashed ; 
but  in  some  mosques,  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  of  the  place 
of  prayer  is  lined  with  colored  marble,  and  the  other  part 
ornamented  with  various  devices  executed  in  stucco,  but 
mostly  with  texts  of  the  Koran,  which  form  long  friezes, 
having  a pleasing  effect,  and  never  with  the  representation 
of  any  thing  that  has  life.  The  pavement  is  covered  with 
matting,  and  the  rich  and  poor  pray  side  by  side ; the  man 
of  rank  or  wealth  enjoying  no  peculiar  distinction  or  comfort, 
unless,  which  is  sometimes  the  case,  he  have  a prayer  carpet 
brought  by  his  servant,  and  spread  for  him.” 

A particular  corner  in  the  great  mosque  was  pointed  out 
to  us  as  that  in  which  Abbas  Pasha  performs  his  Friday 
devotions. 

The  following  is  the  process  of  washing,  preliminary  to 
prayer,  as  described  by  Lane,  and  witnessed  daily  at  the 
fountains  in  the  mosques. 

“ The  person  having  tucked  up  his  sleeves  a little  higher 
than  his  elbows,  says,  in  a low  voice,  or  inaudibly,  ‘I  purpose 
performing  the  wudoo , for  prayer/  He  then  washes  his 
hands  three  times ; saying,  in  the  same  manner  as  before, 

‘ In  the  name  of  God  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful ! 
Praise  be  to  God  who  hath  sent  down  water  for  purification, 
and  made  El-Islam  to  be  a light  and  a conductor  and  a guide 
to  thy  gardens,  the  gardens  of  delight,  and  to  thy  mansion, 
the  mansion  of  peace/  Then  he  rinses  his  mouth  three 
times,  throwing  the  water  into  it  with  the  right  hand,  and,  in 
doing  this,  he  says,  ‘ O God,  assist  me  in  the  reading  of  thy 
book,  and  in  commemorating  Thee,  and  in  thanking  Thee, 
and  in  worshipping  Thee  well ! Next,  with  his  right  hand, 
he  throws  water  up  his  nostrils,  and  then  blows  it  out,  com- 
pressing his  nostrils  with  the  thumb  and  finger  of  the  left 
hand,  and  this  also  is  done  three  times.  While  doing  it  he 


MOSQUES  AND  PRAYERS. 


295 


says,  4 O God,  make  me  to  smell  the  odors  of  Paradise,  and 
bless  me  with  its  delights ; and  make  me  not  to  smell  the 
smell  of  the  fires  of  Hell.*  He  then  washes  his  face  three 
times,  throwing  up  the  water  with  both  hands,  and  saying, 

‘ 0 God,  whiten  my  face  with  thy  light  on  the  day  when 
thou  shalt  whiten  the  faces  of  thy  favorites;  and  do  not 
blacken  my  face  on  the  day  when  thou  shalt  blacken  the 
faces  of  thine  enemies/  His  right  hand  and  arm,  as  high 
as  the  elbow,  he  next  washes  three  times,  and  as  many  times 
causes  the  water  to  run  along  his  arm  from  the  palm  of  the 
hand  to  the  elbow,  saying,  as  he  does  this,  ‘ O God,  give  me 
my  book  in  my  right  hand,  and  reckon  with  me  with  an 
easy  reckoning.’  In  the  same  manner  he  washes  the  left 
hand  and  arm,  saying,  ‘ O God,  do  not  give  me  my  book  in 
my  left  hand,  nor  behind  my  back  ; and  do  not  reckon  with 
me  with  a difficult  reckoning,  nor  make  me  to  be  one  of  the 
people  of  the  fire.’  He  next  draws  the  wetted  right  hand 
over  the  upper  part  of  his  head,  raising  his  turban  or  cap 
with  his  left : this  he  does  but  once ; and  he  accompanies 
the  action  with  this  supplication,  ‘ 0 God,  cover  me  with  thy 
mercy,  and  pour  down  thy  blessing  upon  me,  and  shade  me 
under  the  shadow  of  thy  canopy,  on  the  day  when  there 
shall  be  no  shade  but  its  shade.’  If  he  have  a beard  he 
then  combs  it  with  the  wetted  fingers  of  his  right  hand ; 
holding  his  hand  with  the  palm  forwards,  and  passing  the 
fingers  through  his  beard  from  the  throat  upwards.  He 
then  puts  the  tips  of  his  forefingers  into  his  ears,  and  twists 
them  round,  passing  his  thumbs  at  the  same  time  round  the 
back  of  the  ears,  from  the  bottom  upwards,  and  saying,  1 0 
God,  make  me  to  be  of  those  who  hear  what  is  said,  and 
obey  what  is  best,’  or,  4 O God,  make  me  to  hear  good.’ 
Next  he  wipes  his  neck  with  the  back  of  the  fingers  of  both 
hands,  making  the  ends  of  his  fingers  meet  behind  his  neck, 
and  then  drawing  them  forward,  and,  in  doing  so,  he  says, 


296 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


6 0 God,  free  my  neck  from  the  fire,  and  keep  me  from  the 
chains,  and  the  collars,  and  the  fetters.’  Lastly,  he  washes 
his  feet,  as  high  as  the  ankles  ; he  washes  the  right  foot  first, 
saying,  at  the  same  time,  ‘ O God,  make  firm  my  feet  upon 
the  Sirat,  on  the  day  when  my  feet  shall  slip  upon  it ; ’ on 
washing  the  left  foot,  he  says,  ‘ 0 God,  make  my  labor  to  be 
approved,  an^l  my  sin  forgiven,  and  my  works  accepted, 
merchandise  that  shall  not  perish,  by  thy  pardon,  0 mighty, 
O very  forgiving,  by  thy  mercy,  0 most  merciful  of  those 
who  show  mercy ! ’ After  having  thus  completed  the  ablu- 
tion he  says,  looking  towards  heaven,  6 Thy  perfection,  0 
God!  I extol  with  thy  praise:  I testify  that  there  is  no 
deity  but  thee  alone  ; Thou  hast  no  companion ; I implore 
thy  forgiveness,  and  turn  to  thee  with  repentance.’  Then 
looking  towards  the  earth,  he  adds,  ‘ I testify  that  there  is 
no  deity  but  God,  and  I testify  that  Mohammed  is  his  ser- 
vant, and  his  apostle.’  Having  uttered  these  words,  he 
should  recite  once,  twice,  or  three  times  the  Soorat  el-Kadr , 
or  ninety-seventh  chapter  of  the  Koran.” 

This  entire  purification  is  performed  in  a much  shorter 
time  than  is  occupied  in  reading  the  account  of  it ; and  a 
ceremony  altogether  beautiful  in  its  conception,  and  touch- 
ingly appropriate  in  its  religious  sentiments,  is  marred  by  its 
mechanical  execution.  The  same  is  true  of  the  attitudes  of 
prayer.  These  are  assumed  with  a mechanical  uniformity 
quite  foreign  to  a true  devotion.  The  prayer  consists 
mainly  of  repetitions  of  the  name  of  Allah , the  enumeration 
of  his  attributes  with  ascriptions  and  ejaculations,  according 
to  a prescribed  formula.  Each  attitude  has  its  appropriate 
utterance,  and  a mistake  here  vitiates  the  whole  perform- 
ance, and  obliges  the  suppliant  to  go  back  and  begin  at  the 
beginning.  The  routine  of  a Mohammedan  prayer  will  be 
better  learned  from  the  accompanying  picture,  than  from 
any  description.  The  prostrations  are  given  in  their  nu- 
merical order. 


POSTURES  IN  PRAYER. 


MOSQUES  AND  PRAYERS. 


297 


The  Ezher , or  “splendid”  mosque,  some  nine  hundred 
years  old,  is  worth  visiting,  as  the  College  of  Cairo.  It  is  a 
very  spacious  building,  and  abounds  in  cool  and  shady  colon- 
nades, all  along  which,  seated  on  mats  or  cushions,  or  on  the 
naked  floor,  are  pupils  studying  the  Koran,  and  reading  or 
writing  under  the  direction  of  the  priests,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  dealers  in  petty  wares,  and  loungers  of  all  sorts,  find 
in  these  sacred  premises  an  undisturbed  retreat.  As  in 
the  smaller  schools  connected  with  other  mosques,  lessons 
are  here  recited  in  unison,  and  the  effort  seems  to  be  to 
memorize  the  Koran,  with  a swaying  motion  of  the  body. 
This  is  the  height  of  present  Mohammedan  literature. 
However,  the  literary  and  scientific  schools,  founded  by 
Mohammed  Ali,  are  beginning  to  acquaint  the  people,  so 
far  as  their  prejudices  will  allow,  with  the  literature  of 
European  nations. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


MOHAMMEDAN  INFIDELS PROSPECTS  OF  EVANGELIZA- 
TION   TOLERATION. 

Much  that  I have  seen  and  heard  in  Egypt  goes  to  sat- 
isfy me  that  Mohammedanism,  as  a practical  and  vital  sys- 
tem, is  losing  its  hold  upon  the  masses  of  the  people ; that 
it  has  become  a traditionary  thing,  and  that  the  minds  of 
many  are  in  the  transition  state  of  unbelief,  which  will  pre- 
pare them  to  receive  a mQre  substantial  faith.  Of  the  in- 
strumentalities to  be  used  in  the  evangelization  of  Egypt,  I 
shall  speak  more  at  length  in  a subsequent  chapter  on  the 
Copts.  But  in  immediate  connection  with  the  view  of  Mo- 
hammedanism just  presented,  it  will  be  interesting  to  study 
the  phases  of  the  common  mind  toward  that  system. 

Many  of  the  common  people  are  evidently  indifferent  to 
the  established  religion  of  the  country.  They  seldom  visit 
a mosque,  or  go  through  the  prescribed  forms  of  prayer. 
Friday,  the  Mohammedan  Sabbath,  is  very  much  like  the 
Sunday  of  continental  Europe : the  more  devout  close  their 
shops  for  an  hour  or  two  and  go  to  the  mosques,  but  the 
rest  of  the  day  is  given  to  business  or  pleasure.  Among  the 
crew  of  our  boat,  there  were  some  who  never  performed 
their  devotions ; one  even  mimicked  the  devotional  attitudes 
of  others  ; and  their  wit  consisted  chiefly  in  transposing  sen- 
tences from  the  Koran,  in  punning  upon  its  sacred  words, 
and  in  imitating  its  style  -when  conversing  upon  trifling  sub- 
jects, like  the  low  wit  of  some  American  newspapers  in 


MOHAMMEDAN  INFIDELS. 


299 


producing  new  chapters  from  the  books  of  Chronicles  and 
Kings,  as  a satire  upon  President  Jackson  and  his  cabinet. 
When  two.  boats  pass  each  other  on  the  river,  a favorite 
amusement  of  the  crews  is  to  bandy  all  manner  of  curses 
from  Mohammed  in  mere  jokes,  and  to  vie  with  each  other 
in  travestying  sentences  from  the  Koran.  This  profane 
sport,  as  we  should  regard  it,  they  will  continue  as  long  as 
the  boats  are  within  hearing  of  each  other.  It  shows  how 
feeble  is  the  hold  of  their  religion  upon  the  affections  and 
the  reverence  of  this  class  of  the  people.  Yet  many  of 
them  are  very  devout,  and  I have  often  been  impressed  with 
the  seriousness  and  the  earnestness  of  some  of  our  crew 
in  their  devotions.  These  they  perform  at  stated  hours 
upon  the  open  deck,  as  abstractedly  as  if  they  were  secluded 
in  the  closet ; but  I am  satisfied,  that  even  with  such  per- 
sons religion  is  often  a mere  matter  of  education  and  of  form. 

Once  when  giving  the  more  sober  and  religious  portion 
of  the  crew  some  information  about  America,  I ventured  to 
test  their  regard  for  Mohammed  by  saying,  that  in  America 
Allah  (God)  was  known,  but  Mohammed  was  ma  feesh 
(nothing).  I did  not  say  that  Mohammed  was  nobody  — for 
I would  not  thus  shock  their  prejudices  at  first  — but  that 
Mohammed  was  nothing  in  America.  Instead  of  being 
offended,  they  were  amused.  Then  pointing  upward,  I said, 
Allah,  fee  Jcool  ematrah  ; Allah  teieb,  (God  is  everywhere; 
God  is  good ;)  and  pointing  to  the  east,  Mohammed  — 
Mecca,  ma  feesh,  (Mohammed  is  at  Mecca,  and  is  nothing). 
They  understood  my  rude  Arabic  and  my  gestures,  and 
responded  with  a hearty  laugh.  They  then  repeated  “Allah,” 
and  waited  for  me  to  say  “ teieb,”  “ Mohammed  ” — to  which 
I responded,  “ ma  feesh  ; ” at  which  they  laughed  again,  as 
if  it  were  a capital  joke.  I afterwards  heard  them  repeat- 
ing this  among  themselves.  They  never  intimated  by  w'ord 
or  look  to  me,  or  to  each  other,  that  the  name  of  Moham- 


300 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


med  was  too  sacred  to  be  trifled  with.  To  understand  the 
significance  of  this  little  incident,  we  have  only  to  reflect 
with  what  feelings  we  should  hear  from  the  lips  of  a stran- 
ger, that  in  his  country  Christ  was  nothing,  or  there  was  no 
Christ,  and  that  while  God  was  everywhere,  Christ  was  in 
his  sepulchre  at  Jerusalem,  without  agency  or  influence  in 
the  affairs  of  the  world. 

Let  it  cease  to  be  a capital  offence  for  a Mussulman  to 
renounce  his  faith,  and  there  are  multitudes  of  the  common 
people  in  Egypt,  who  would  be  deterred  by  no  religious  con- 
viction from  hearing  the  Gospel,  and  accepting  Christ  and  his 
salvation.  And  even  now,  when  Mohammedanism,  as  a 
power,  is  dependent  for  its  very  existence  upon  the  selfish 
protection  and  the  mutual  jealousies  of  Christian  powers,  I 
cannot  see  that  it  presents  a more  formidable  front  to  mis- 
sionary labor  than  did  a Pharisaic  Judaism,  and  an  estab- 
lished and  unrelenting  idolatry  in  the  time  of  the  Apostles, 
when,  nevertheless,  Paul,  tarrying  at  Ephesus,  said,  “ A 
great  door , and  effectual  is  opened  to  me , and  there  are  many 
adversaries But  the  time  for  direct  missionary  effort 
among  Mussulmen  is  not  yet.  Indeed,  I incline  to  the 
opinion,  that  Mohammedanism,  like  Romanism,  must  be 
overturned,  as  a system , and  as  a civil  power , before  its 
votaries  can  be  gained  to  the  Gospel.  It  is  important,  how- 
ever, to  discriminate  between  a system  and  its  votaries, — 
between  those  who  work  the  machinery  of  superstition,  and 
those  who  are  held  down  by  its  enormous  pressure.  If  the 
Beast  and  the  False  Prophet  really  symbolize  Popery  and 
Mohammedanism,  on  which  interpreters  are  not  agreed,  it 
does  not  follow  because  these  are  to  be  cast  alive  into  the 
lake  of  fire,  that  all  their  nominal  adherents  are  to  be 
destroyed  with  them ; and,  therefore,  while  the  providence 
of  God  is  preparing  the  overthrow  of  these  tremendous  sys- 
tems of  error,  the  people  of  God  should  be  preparing  to  take 


PROSPECTS  OF  EVANGELIZATION. 


301 


possession  of  the  nations  after  tlieir  fall.  For  this  purpose 
we  should  have  in  training  throughout  the  East  a company 
of  native  missionaries  — oriental  in  their  habits  and  man- 
ner, and  qualified,  as  no  foreigners  could  be,  for  the  work  of 
evangelizing  the  whole  eastern  world.  Such  missionaries 
will  be  the  Armenians  of  Turkey,  and  the  Nestorians  of 
Persia,  — revived  and  purified  as  these  have  been,  under  a 
new  dispensation  of  the  Gospel,  — and  such,  too,  may  be 
the  Copts  of  Egypt,  when  brought  back  to  the  simple  faith 
of  the  New  Testament. 

Christ  confined  his  labors  to  the  Jews,  not  only  in  fulfil- 
ment of  the  Divine  purpose  toward  them  as  the  chosen 
people,  but  also  because,  notwithstanding  their  unbelief  and 
hardness  of  heart,  they  were  of  all  nations  the  best  pre- 
pared to  receive  his  Gospel,  and  the  best  fitted  to  convey  it 
to  others.  They  had  become  a nation  of  traffickers,  and  in 
every  principal  city  they  had  established  a synagogue  for 
the  worship  of  the  true  God.  Their  Scriptures,  already 
translated  into  the  universal  Greek  tongue,  their  schools 
and  their  synagogues,  were  so  many  points  of  contact,  by 
■\thich  the  electrifying  influence  of  the  Gospel  could  be  im- 
parted to  the  nations.  Humanly  speaking,  it  was  with  a 
wise  economy  that  the  public  ministry  of  Christ  was  con- 
fined to  Judea  and  the  Jews.  Acting  upon  the  same  princi- 
ple, the  American  Board  have  commenced  their  missionary 
operations  in  the  East,  among  the  nominally  Christian  com- 
munities, which  still  retain  some  traces  of  the  Gospel,  and 
which  in  their  business  connection  form  a natural  channel 
of  communication  with  the  Mohammedan  and  Pagan  world. 
The  result,  thus  far,  has  justified  the  wisdom  of  this  course 
in  Turkey  and  in  Persia.  Why,  then,  may  it  not  be  adopted 
in  Egypt  also,  with  the  same  promise  ? 

Whatever  might  be  the  attitude  of  the  Coptic  ecclesias- 
tics toward  any  movement  for  the  regeneration  of  their 
26 


302 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


church,  the  people  of  that  communion  in  towns  and  villages 
remote  from  the  capital,  are  prepared  to  welcome  judicious 
and  kindly  missionary  labors.  In  the  capital,  the  influence 
of  the  Patriarch,  and  of  the  higher  clergy,  would  be  more 
powerfully  felt ; but  even  there  the  Rev.  Mr.  Leider,  the 
excellent  missionary  of  the  Church  of  England,  has  been 
able  to  accomplish  something,  incidentally,  for  the  enlighten- 
ment of  the  Copts,  while  maintaining  an  English  service 
for  the  benefit  of  travellers  and  of  foreign  residents.  We 
have  seen  that  the  Bible  has  lately  been  circulated  to  ad- 
vantage at  some  points  on  the  Upper  Nile.  Besides  the 
Copts,  who  are  very  numerous,  there  are  in  Cairo  two 
thousand  Armenians,  eight  or  nine  thousand  Franks  and 
Greeks,  and  four  or  five  thousand  Roman  Catholic  Copts, 
Greeks,  and  Armenians.  In  Alexandria,  there  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Greek,  Armenian,  and  Roman  Catholic  com- 
munions, as  well  as  Copts ; at  Rosetta,  on  the  seaboard, 
there  is  a Latin  convent ; and  at  Damietta,  the  most  easterly 
part  of  Egypt,  about  one  half  the  population  are  of  the 
Greek  Church. 

The  existence  of  so  many  bodies  of  professed  Christians 
in  Egypt,  shows  at  once  the  toleration  of  the  government, 
and  the  advantages  of  this  land  as  a field  of  missionary 
effort.  Egypt  belongs  to  Turkey,  and  in  all  matters  of 
faith,  is  obedient  to  the  decisions  of  the  Mufti  of  Constanti- 
nople. It  cannot  be  doubted,  therefore,  that  the  same  en- 
lightened and  liberal  policy  which  permits  the  labors  of 
American  missionaries  at  Beirut,  at  Smyrna,  at  Constanti- 
nople, at  Brousa,  at  Aintab,  and  other  points  in  the  Turkish 
empire,  and  that  guarantees  to  Protestant  converts  from  the 
old  recognized  churches  the  enjoyment  of  full  religious 
liberty,  would  grant  protection  to  missionaries  laboring  in 
Egypt,  and  would  allow  them  in  like  manner  to  garner  the 
results  of  those  labors.  At  all  events  the  experiment  should 
be  made. 


TOLERATION. 


303 


The  late  government  of  Mohammed  Ali  practised  relig- 
ious toleration ; and  there  is  no  reason  to  believe,  that  his 
successor  and  grandson  will  depart  from  his  example.  An 
instance  of  this  is  mentioned  by  the  Scotch  missionary  depu- 
tation who  visited  Egypt  several  years  ago.  In  their  journal 
they  say,  “At  Rosetta  we  visited  a rice-mill  which  is  in  the 
course  of  erection,  and  found  that  the  principal  workmen  in 
it  were  four  Americans,  employed  by  the  Pasha.  They 
were  very  happy  to  meet  with  us,  and  invited  us  to  their 
lodging.  One  of  them  begged  us  to  leave  any  English 
books  which  we  could  spare,  as  they  had  read  over  all  their 
store.  They  said  they  kept  the  Sabbath ; for  when  engag- 
ing with  the  Pasha,  he  allowed  them  this  privilege,  that 
they  might  take  either  their  own  Sunday,  or  the  Moham- 
medan Friday,  for  rest.”  Here  was  a respect  for  conscience 
shown  by  the  viceroy  toward  persons  in  his  own  employ- 
ment. So,  too,  under  the  present  Pasha,  Coptic  Christians 
are  employed  in  common  with  Turkish  and  Arab  Mussul- 
men  in  the  sugar  factories  belonging  to  the  government, 
and  I presume  that  the  religious  scruples  of  the  Copts  are 
respected  on  the  Sabbath,  though  the  factories  are  in  opera- 
tion then  as  on  other  days. 

The  prejudices  of  Moslems  against  Christians  are  tradi- 
tionally strong.  They  grow  in  part  out  of  their  religion, 
and  are  sometimes  carried  to  a ridiculous  extreme.  Thus, 
whereas  Moslem  culprits  are  beheaded  without  the  gates  of 
Cairo,  “ Christians  and  J ews,  whose  blood  is  thought  to 
defile  the  sword,  are  hanged  in  the  Frank  quarter  of  the 
city.”  I wished  to  buy  a copy  of  the  Koran  in  the  Turkish 
bazaar,  but  my  guide  told  me  I must  go  to  the  Frank  quar- 
ter, for  a Mussulman  would  not  dare  to  sell  a copy  to  an 
unbeliever.  Thus  the  Koran  and  the  sword  of  the  execu- 
tioner are  alike  defiled  by  contact  with  a Christian.  Yet 
the  Koran  itself  has  some  precepts  of  toleration ; as  where 


304 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


it  says,  “We  have  prescribed  to  each  people  their  sacred 
rights.  Let  them  observe  them,  and  not  wrangle  with  thee 
concerning  this  matter.  If  they  dispute  with  thee,  say, 
God  knoweth  your  actions  ; God  will  judge  between  you.” 

.Moslem  prejudices  against  Christians  have  been  greatly 
mitigated  within  a few  years,  by  the  increase  of  travel  in 
Egypt,  and  by  the  foreign  policy  of  Mohammed  Ali.  Eng- 
lish residents  of  Cairo,  who  were  once  hooted  at  as  infidels, 
now  transact  business  upon  the  most  public  streets,  with 
Moslems  as  their  servants.  Native  Christians  often  hold 
business  places  in  government  institutions  superior  to  Mus- 
sulmen ; and  Mr.  Wilkinson  says  of  Old  Cairo,  that,  “ Be- 
sides the  Coptic  community,  is  a Greek  convent,  within  the 
precincts  of  this  ancient  fortress,  and  numerous  Moslems 
have  opened  shops  in  its  narrow  streets,  living  in  perfect 
harmony  with  their  religious  adversaries.” 

Mohammed  Ali  not  only  formed  his  army  and  his  fleet 
upon  the  European  model,  and  erected  arsenals,  hospitals, 
military  and  naval  establishments,*  and  manufactories  under 
European  superintendence,  but  he  also  established,  at  Cairo, 
schools  for  free  education  in  general  knowledge,  and  in 
medical  and  other  sciences.  To  these,  the  people  and  the 
Moslem  teachers  made  great  opposition.  “ They  objected 
to  their  children  being  taught  what  they  had  not  themselves 
learned,  or  what  was  not  connected  with  their  religion,  and 
Frank  languages  and  sciences  appeared  to  be  an  abomination 
to  the  Egyptians.”  Mothers  would  even  cut  off  the  fore- 
finger of  a child’s  right  hand,  to  prevent  its  being  taught  to 
write  ! But  under  the  influence  of  experience,  and  of  pecu- 
niary rewards,  these  prejudices  are  dying  out,  and  the 
schools  are  prospering. 

In  confirmation  of  what  I have  said  of  the  willingness  of 
Mussulmen,  in  the  smaller  villages,  to  listen  to  missionary 
teaching,  I would  mention  one  or  two  incidents  reported  by 


TOLERATION. 


305 


the  Scottish  deputation,  whose  track  through  Egypt  lay 
along  the  seaboard  from  Alexandria  to  El  Arish.  They 
speak  of  the  Sheik  of  Balteen  as  having  promised  to  receive 
Arabic  tracts,  if  they  would  send  them.  At  Gernatter  they 
were  entertained  by  the  master  of  the  post-house  — an  Arab 
in  the  service  of  the  Pasha  — and  they  expounded  the 
Scriptures  to  him  and  to  several  Arabs  in  attendance.  These 
all  listened  with  the  utmost  attention,  putting  in  a note  of 
approbation,  again  and  again,  such  as  “ good,  good,”  “ very 
just.” 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  cannot  be  questioned  that  Egypt 
is  in  a measure  open  to  missionary  labor,  and  that  it  offers 
a most  inviting  field.  It  is  a field,  too,  which  should  be  im- 
mediately occupied.  Adverse  influences  are  already  at 
work,  and  there  is  danger  that  Infidelity  and  Romanism 
will  divide  the  spoil  of  Mohammedanism  and  Coptic  Chris- 
tianity. There  is  a large  proportion  of  foreigners,  chiefly 
Italians,  in  Alexandria,  and  the  city  already  exhibits  many 
of  the  vices  of  a seaport  town.  As  I have  before  said, 
Italians  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  principal  towns  in  Upper 
Egypt,  wearing  the  national  costume,  and  keeping  shops  in 
the  bazaars.  These  are  either  nominal  Catholics,  or  down- 
right unbelievers  ; and  their  influence  in  either  case  as  re- 
puted Christians  — for  such  all  Franks  are  taken  to  be  — 
must  be  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  Christianity.  Indeed, 
I have  heard  of  Arabs  quoting  the  opinion  of  Frenchmen 
that  there  is  no  God,  and  making  the  dissolute  character  of 
some  foreigners  an  argument  against  the  Christian  religion. 
The  travel  upon  the  Nile  has  so  much  increased,  and  travel- 
lers are  brought  into  such  constant  intercourse  with  sailors 
and  with  villagers,  that  the  impress  of  the  so-called  Christian 
nations  will  soon  be  deeply  marked  upon  the  face  of  Egypt, 
for  good  or  for  evil.  A large  proportion  of  travellers  on  the 
Nile  are  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  some  of  these,  I 
26  * 


306 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


fear,  do  no  credit  to  Republican  or  Christian  institutions.  I 
met  with  one  wdiose  only  memories  of  the  Nile  appeared  to 
be  a boast  of  the  number  of  tame  pigeons  he  had  killed,  and 
a curse  upon  the  wild  ducks  that  had  eluded  his  shot.  Some 
even  make  their  boast  of  positive  vice.  Is  it  not  time  that 
the  missionary  was  here  to  teach  the  people  to  discriminate 
between  the  false  and  the  true  ? 

It  is  pleasant  to  find  it  recorded  by  the  Scottish  mission, 
before  quoted,  that  while  their  dragoman  denounced  some 
“Christians”  whom  he  had  served,  he  remarked  “that  he 
had  met  writh  good  Christians,  mentioning,  with  great  affec- 
tion and  respect,  Professor  Robinson,  from  America,  with 
wdiom  he  had  travelled  ” to  Mount  Sinai  and  through  Pales- 
tine. Christians  from  other  lands  are  criticized  in  Egypt, 
and  Christianity  is  judged  by  their  deportment.  With  no 
better  illustrations  of  Christianity  than  the  formalism  of  the 
Copts,  the  irreligion  of  the  Italians,  and  the  irregularities  of 
some  English  and  American  travellers  now  furnish,  it  would 
not  be  strange  if  inquiring  minds  among  the  Mohammedans, 
doubting  the  truth  or  the  sufficiency  of  their  own  religious 
system,  should  be  utterly  repelled  from  the  Gospel.  More- 
over Roman  Catholic  emissaries  are  busy  in  Egypt.  I have 
referred  to  their  influence  at  Negadeh.  Is  it  not  time  that 
the  sincere  friends  of  Christ  were  at  work  in  a land  which, 
next  to  Palestine,  "was  the  land  of  the  Bibte  ? 

What  biblical  associations  draw  us  toward  Egypt ! And 
how  powerfully  must  these  associations  one  day  spring  up 
for  the  evangelizing  of  the  people ! Here  Abraham,  Jacob, 
and  Joseph  sojourned,  and  found  favor  with  the  princes  of 
the  land.  Here  Moses  was  born  and  nourished,  and  here 
the  Lord  wrought  by  his  hand  such  marvels  for  the  deliver- 
ance of  Israel.  Here  was  the  land  of  bondage,  and  here 
the  theatre  of  the  Exodus.  Here  was  instituted  the  Pass- 
over,  the  type  of  that  great  sacrifice  which  we  now  com- 


BIBLE  ASSOCIATIONS. 


307 


mem  orate  in  the  breaking  of  bread.  Here  Solomon  sought 
the  daughter  of  a king  to  grace  his  golden  palace  at  Jeru- 
salem. Here  Jeremiah  — the  faithful  prophet  — was  led 
into  captivity.  Here  Joseph  and  Mary  found  a refuge  with 
the  infant  Jesus  from  the  malice  of  the  barbarous  Herod  — 
the  same  land  where,  in  the  time  of  Moses,  an  edict  went 
forth  to  exterminate  the  chosen  seed  by  destroying  the  infant 
sons  of  the  Israelites,  being  made  to  preserve  that  seed  from 
a like  edict  in  Judea. 

And  not  only  is  this  land  full  of  the  history  and  the  proph- 
ecies of  the  Scriptures,  and  a perpetual  witness  for  their 
truth,  but  here  where  all  customs  are  stereotyped,  where  the 
dresses  and  the  utensils  of  the  people  are  the  same  to-day  as 
were  sculptured  upon  tombs  and  monuments  upwards  of 
three  thousand  years  ago,  one  is  continually  reminded  of  the 
fidelity  of  the  Bible  in  its  minutest  references,  and  assured 
that  it  must  have  been  written  by  persons  residing  in  the 
midst  of  oriental  scenes.  Of  this  one  sees  much  more  in 
Palestine.  But  even  here  one  is  continually  reminded  of 
the  Scriptures,  in  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people. 
The  landmarks,  the  dove-cotes,  the  sheepfold,  the  manger, 
the  mill-stones,  the  “ booths  for  cattle,”  the  “ lodge  in  a gar- 
den of  cucumbers,”  the  well  surrounded  by  women,  the 
mourning  women,  the  lepers,  the  washing  of  feet  and  the 
girding  of  loins,  the  dwelling  among  tombs,  the  writer’s  ink- 
horn  and  the  graving  upon  the  hands  — these  and  many 
other  biblical  allusions  that  convey  to  us  no  very  definite 
idea,  are  here  perfectly  obvious  and  natural.  The  Old 
Testament  here  becomes  instinct  with  a new  life.  We  feel 
its  truthfulness  ; we  see  its  meaning ; and  we  see  also,  what 
adaptation  and  what  power  it  must  have  in  all  these  eastern 
lands  when  they  shall  be  fully  opened  to  the  circulation  of 
the  Bible. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT PERSECUTIONS  AND 

TRIUMPHS DESTRUCTION  OF  IDOLATRY. 

Egypt  was  once  a Christian  country.  Not  that  its 
inhabitants  were  ever  thoroughly  christianized ; but  in  the 
reign  of  Constantine  the  Great,  the  Christian  religion  was 
established  in  Egypt,  as  it  was  throughout  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, and  it  continued  to  be  the  established  religion  of  the 
country  when,  after  the  division  of  the  Roman  Empire, 
Egypt  remained  an  appendage  of  the  eastern  or  lower 
empire,  under  Theodosius  and  his  successors,  until  the  Arab 
invasion  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century. 

The  Gospel  was  introduced  into  Egypt  in  the  time  of  the 
apostles.  Among  the  multitude  who  witnessed  the  miracu- 
lous manifestation  of  the  Spirit  on  the  ,day  of  Pentecost, 
and  who  heard  in  their  native  tongues  the  wonderful  works 
of  God,  were  “ dwellers  in  Egypt,”  who  had  come  up  from 
Alexandria  and  other  parts  of  Egypt,  to  the  great  yearly 
festival  at  Jerusalem.  The  city  of  Alexandria,  at  that  time 
the  great  depot  of  the  commerce  of  Arabia,  of  Ethiopia,  and 
of  the  Indies,  and  inferior  only  to  the  Roman  capital  — was 
a favorite  residence  of  the.  Jews,  who  had  already  become 
the  brokers,  or  the  money-changers,  of  the  commercial  world. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era  there  were 
residing  in  Alexandria  a hundred  thousand  Jews,  or  one  third 
of  the  free  population  of  the  city,  and  one  sixth  of  the  whole 
population.  So  late  as  the  seventh  century,  when  Amer  took 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT. 


309 


the  city,  he  reported  it  to  contain  “ forty  thousand  tributary 
Jews.”  Alexandria  was  a seat  of  learning  as  well  as  of 
commerce,  and  in  addition  to  its  renowned  school  of  Philoso- 
phy, it  boasted  under  the  Ptolemies  a library  of  seven  hun- 
dred thousand  manuscript  volumes,  which  contained  “ a copy 
of  every  known  work,”  and  the  original  manuscript  of  many 
of  the  most  distinguished  authors.  Here  Jewish  rabbis  vied 
with  Grecian  sages  in  the  study  of  letters ; and  here,  under  the 
direction  of  the  viceroy,  some  three  centuries  before  Christ, 
were  assembled  the  seventy  Jewish  doctors  who  translated 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures  into  the  Greek  language,  then  the 
language  of  universal  literature  and  of  polite  society,  and 
who  thus  prepared  the  way  for  the  rapid  diffusion  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  “ Grecian  and  Jewish  culture  at  Alex- 
andria furnished  points  of  contact  and  union  for  Chris- 
tianity.” * No  doubt  the  Jews  of  Egypt,  who  had  joined 
themselves  to  the  Apostles  at  the  Pentecost,  on  returning  to 
Alexandria  reported  what  they  had  seen  and  heard,  and 
preached  Christ  in  the  synagogues  of  that  city ; and  no 
doubt  many  who  heard  the  Word  of  the  Lord  at  their 
mouth,  also  believed.  The  royal  treasurer  of  Ethiopia, 
whose  religious  faith  had  brought  him  more  than  a thousand 
miles  in  his  chariot  to  worship  at  Jerusalem,  would  hardly 
have  returned  through  Egypt  without  reporting  in  the 
synagogues  his  interview  with  Philip,  and  his  personal 
discovery  of  Christ,  in  the  writings  of  tbe  Prophet  Esaias. 
Even  in  the  first  century,  Ethiopia  stretched  out  her  arms 
to  God. 

Alexandria  gave  birth  to  Apollos,  that  ‘‘'eloquent  man, 
and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,”  who  — though  after  his 
enlightenment  at  Ephesus  he  labored  chiefly  in  Achaia  — 
no  doubt  furthered  the  gospel  in  his  native  city.  Indeed  it 


* Neander. 


310 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


would  seem  that  he  himself  had  there  learned  of  Christ  in 
part,  before  his  visit  to  Ephesus,  and  had  begun  to  preach 
Him  as  the  Messiah,  while  as  yet  he  knew  only  the  baptism 
of  John.  Doubtless  the  spread  of  Christianity  among- the 
Jews  of  Egypt  was  accelerated  by  the  fulfilment,  as  it 
were,  before  their  eyes,  of  that  which  was  spoken  of  the 
Lord  by  the  prophet,  Out  of  Egypt  have  I called  my  Son. 
It  is  said,  too,  that  Mark  made  Egypt  the  theatre  of  his 
labors. 

The  number  of  Christians  in  Egypt  in  the  earlier  centu- 
ries of  the  Christian  era,  is  attested  by  the  memorials  both 
of  their  sufferings  and  of  their  prosperity,  that  are  yet 
scattered  throughout  the  land.  Egypt  then  appertained  to 
the  Roman  empire  ; and  the  fortunes  of  Christianity  there 
varied  with  its  fortunes  throughout  the  empire,  from  the 
era  of  its  persecution  to  that  of  its  inauguration.  The 
Macedonian  dynasty,  established  upon  the  conquest  of 
Egypt  by  Alexander  in  the  fourth  century  before  Christ, 
was  superseded  by  the  invasion  of  Antioclius  in  the  second 
century,  and  the  more  decisive  Roman  conquest  under 
Julius  Cassar  in  the  first  century  before  Christ.  The  Roman 
emperors  regarded  Egypt  as  one  of  the  most  important 
provinces  of  the  empire,  and  while  they  enriched  their 
capital  with  its  spoils,  and  transported  obelisks  and  columns 
from  the  Nile  to  adorn  the  Tiber,  they  also  erected  new 
temples  and  monuments  in  Egypt,  and  added  the  names 
of  the  Cresars  to  the  names  of  the  Pharaohs  and  the  Ptole- 
mies in  the  sculptured  cartouches  of  her  kings.  The 
Emperor  Adrian  twice  visited  this  part  of  his  dominions, 
and  Diocletian  came  in  person  to  subdue  the  revolted  city 
of  Alexandria,  and  commemorated  the  event  by  the  pillar 
which  is  almost  the  only  surviving  monument  of  the  ancient 
city.  In  short,  whatever  affected  Rome  affected  Egypt, 
fifteen  hundred  miles  distant.  In  particular,  the  persecu- 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT.  311 

tions  of  the  later  emperors  against  the  Christians,  were  felt 
with  rigor  from  Alexandria  to  the  confines  of  Ethiopia. 
All  along  the  Upper  Nile,  in  the  grottos  that  line  its  moun- 
tains, and  that  were  excavated  for  burial-places  by  the  old 
Egyptians,  are  traces  of  Coptic  inscriptions  and  of  rude 
monuments,  showing  that  these  were  places  of  refuge  for 
the  early  Christians  when,  like  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, “ they  wandered  in  deserts,  and  in  mountains,  and  in 
dens  and  caves  of  the  earth.”  Others  “ were  tortured,  not 
accepting  deliverance ; ” and  the  graves  of  Christian  mar- 
tyrs are  said  to  have  been  found  at  Esne,  near  the  ruins 
of  a temple  of  the  Caesars.  The  name  of  Diocletian  in 
some  of  the  refuges  of  the  persecuted  followers  of  Christ, 
points  to  the  third  century  as  a period  of  special  suffering. 
“ A persecution  of  the  Christians  in  Thebais,  under  the 
emperor  Septimius  Severus,  proves  that  Christianity  had 
already  made  progress  in  Upper  Egypt,  as  early  as  the  last 
times  of  the  second  century.  Probably  in  the  first  half  of 
the  third  century,  this  * province  had  a version  of  the  New 
Testament  in  its  own  ancient  dialect.”  * 

It  was  in  Egypt,  too,  and  its  adjacent  deserts,  that  the 
early  Christian  anchorites,  moved  by  a quietism  that  would 
unhumanize  the  gospel,  and  would  subvert  the  family  and 
the  social  state,  or  infected  with  the  mystic  notion  that  evil 
inheres  in  matter,  and  is  to  be  vanquished  by  removing  from 
all  temptations  of  the  flesh,  copied  the  asceticism  of  the 
remoter  East,  and  gave  themselves  up  to  pulse  and  penance 
'among  the  rocks.  Upon  the  Arabian  side,  within  twenty 
miles  of  the  Red  Sea,  St.  Antony  had  his  cave,  where  now 
a convent  bears  his  name  ; and  several  monasteries  in  simi- 
lar localities  still  attest  the  strange  and  sad  perversion  of  the 
Saviour’s  teachings  respecting  secret  prayer  and  separation 


* Neander. 


312 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


from  the  world.  Christ  prayed  not  that  his  disciples  might 
be  taken  out  of  the  world,  but  that  they  might  be  kept  from 
the  evil  that  is*  in  the  world ; he  did  not  teach  them  to  flee 
from  the  world,  but  to  overcome  the  world  by  a living, 
active  faith.  These  monuments  of  monkery  are  a melan- 
choly illustration  of  the  early  corruption  of  Christianity, 
through  the  old  heathen  philosophy  and  customs  that  sur- 
rounded it.  No  doubt,  many  of  the  anchorites  were  moved 
by  a sincere  desire  to  make  high  attainments  in  persona, 
holiness,  and  to  benefit  the  world  by  prayer,  when  perhaps 
persecution  had  denied  them  every  other  method.  But  I 
must  confess  that  my  charity  for  their  misdirected  pietism, 
and  my  sympathy  for  their  privations,  voluntary  or  imposed, 
have  greatly  lessened  since  I have  seen  that  almost  every- 
where their  retreats  in  the  mountains  and  the  desert,  over- 
looked the  choicest  plains  of  the  Nile,  and  were  within  easy 
reach  of  its  fatness;  and  since  I have  found  that  coarse 
bread,  with  lentils  and  onions,  makes  a most  palatable  and 
digestible  dish,  upon  which  every  Egyptian  thrives. 

But  while  these  hermit  cells  and  monasteries  mark  the 
early  decline  of  Christianity  in  its  vital  power,  they  also  in- 
dicate in  their  history  and  their  associations  the  progress  of 
Christianity  as  a recognized  religion.  In  the  fourth  century 
almost  every  principal  town  in  Egypt  had  its  adjacent  con- 
vent as  well  as  its  central  church ; for  the  century  that  was 
ushered  in  with  Constantine,  and  was  closed  with  Theodosius, 
— both  styled  “the  Great,”  — saw  Christianity  enthroned 
in  the  seat  of  universal  empire,  and  enshrined  in  the  temples 
of  forsaken  gods.  Egypt,  which  had  shared  the  persecutions 
of  Diocletian,  now  felt  the  protection  of  Constantine  over 
her  churches,  her  bishops,  and  her  sacred  schools.  From 
Septimius  Severus  to  Constantine,  the  Alexandrian  school 
exerted  upon  Christianity  the  mystic  and  ascetic  influence 
of  its  philosophy.  The  names  of  Origen , of  Clemens  Alex- 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT. 


313 


andrinus,  and  of  Dionysius , are  permanently  associated  with 
the  theology  of  that  era. 

Athanasius , whose  name  is  known  in  connection  with  his 
creed  throughout  the  Holy  Church  Universal,  was  bishop  of 
that  same  Alexandria  which  gave  birth  to  Apollos,  and 
whose  Catechetical  School  had  already  furnished  Clemens 
and  Origen  with  that  generous  culture,  and  that  dialectic 
skill,  which,  conjoined  with  an  earnest  piety,  have  made 
them  eminent  among  the  Christian  Fathers.  At  Alexandria 
wras  waged  the  great  controversy  of  the  fourth  century, 
against  the  Arian  heresy,  which  was  terminated  by  the  adop- 
tion of  the  Nicene  creed  as  a symbol  for  all  Christendom. 
Indeed,  this  city  became  noted,  under  its  Christian  primates, 
for  “ speculative  doctrines  and  religious  controversy/’  as 
under  the  Ptolemies  it  had  been  noted  for  the  “ wisdom  of 
the  Egyptians.”  “ The  extensive  commerce  of  Alexandria, 
and  its  proximity  to  Palestine,  gave  an  easy  entrance  to  the 
new  religion.  It  was  at  first  embraced  by  great  numbers  of 
the  Theraputea  or  Essenians  of  the  lake  Mareotis,  a Jewish 
sect  which  had  abated  much  of  its  reverence  for  the  Mosaic 
ceremonies.  The  austere  life  of  the  Essenians,  their  fasts 
and  excommunications,  the  community  of  goods,  the  love  of 
celibacy,  their  zeal  for  martyrdom,  and  the  warmth  though 
not  the  purity  of  their  faith,  already  offered  a very  lively 
image  of  the  primitive  discipline.  It  was  in  the  school  of 
Alexandria  that  the  Christian  theology  appears  to  have  as- 
sumed a regular  and  scientific  form ; and  when  Hadrian 
visited  Egypt,  he  found  a church  composed  of  Jews  and  of 
Greeks,  sufficiently  important  to  attract  the  notice  of  that 
inquisitive  prince.  But  the  progress  of  Christianity  was  for 
a long  time  confined  within  the  limits  of  a single  city,  which 
was  itself  a foreign  colony,  and,  till  the  close  of  the  second 
century,  the  predecessors  of  Demetrius  were  the  only  pre- 
lates of  the  Egyptian  church.  Three  bishops  were  conse- 

27 


314 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


crated  by  the  hands  of  Demetrius,  and  the  number  was 
increased  to  twenty  by  his  successor,  Heraclas.  The  body 
of  the  natives,  a people  distinguished  by  a sullen  inflexibility 
of  temper,  entertained  the  new  doctrine  "with  coldness  and 
reluctance,  and  even  in  the  time  of  Origen  it  wras  rare  to 
meet  with  an  Egyptian  wrho  had  surmounted  his  early  pre- 
judices in  favor  of  the  sacred  animals  of  his  country.  As 
soon  indeed  as  Christianity  ascended  the  throne,  the  zeal  of 
those  barbarians  obeyed  the  prevailing  impulsion,  the  cities 
of  Egypt  were  filled  with  bishops,  and  the  deserts  of 
Thebais  swarmed  with  hermits.”  * 

“ Christianity,”  says  Bunsen,  “ endowed  Alexandria  with 
intellectual  life  and  activity,  constituted  her  the  seat  of  the 
most  learned  and  practical  school  of  Christian  doctrine,  and 
by  that  means  the  metropolis  of  East  African  Christianity.” 
In  this  same  century,  various  Episcopal  sees  were  estab- 
lished in  Egypt,  or,  if  previously  established,  were  brought 
more  into  prominence.  There  was  such  a see  at  Athribis, 
an  ancient  city  of  the  Pharaohs,  on  the  Damietta  branch  of 
the  Nile,  forty  miles  north  of  the  present  capital.  There 
was  probably  another  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Zoan  of  the 
Scriptures,  at  a place  known  by  the  distinctive  name  of  the 
town  “ of  the  Christians  ; ” another  at  Narach  on  the  Upper 
Nile,  near  the  present  Manfaloot,  — one  of  several  places 
which  claim  to  have  been  the  refuge  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
with  the  infant  Jesus ; another,  probably,  at  Girgeh,  a town 
of  Christian  name  and  origin  ; one  certainly  at  the  ancient 
Antaopolis,  seventy  miles  north ; and  another  at  Thebes, 
which  was  then  converted  into  a Christian  city. 

These  Episcopal  sees,  together  with  the  intervening  con- 
vents in  the  neighborhood  of  all  the  principal  towns,  must 
have  given  to  Egypt  as  much  the  aspect  of  a Christian 


* Gibbon,  i.  577. 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT. 


315 


country  as  Italy  now  wears.  And,  unfortunately,  it  was 
too  much  the  same  aspect ; for  that  superstitions  had 
already  crept  in,  is  apparent  from  the  frescoes  of  apostles, 
saints,  and  martyrs,  which  are  found  upon  the  walls  of  early 
Christian  churches  in  Egypt,  and  of  the  temples  which  the 
Christians  appropriated  to  their  use — just  as  these  are 
everywhere  in  the  Roman  Catholic  churches  of  Europe. 
Indeed,  there  is  reason  to  believe  that,  at  a very  early 
period,  the  symbols  and  the  myths  of  Paganism  were 
grafted  upon  the  Christian  religion.  A striking  illustration 
of  this  is  mentioned  by  the  distinguished  Egyptian  antiqua- 
rian, Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson,  as  having  been  found  at  Old 
Cairo,  or  the  Egyptian  Babylon.  In  an  upper  chamber  of 
a tower  of  the  old  Roman  fortress  in  that  mty,  “ is  an  early 
Christian  record,  sculptured  in  wood,  of  the  time  of  Diocle- 
tian, curious  as  well  from  its  style  as  from  the  state  of  its 
preservation.  The  upper  part,  or  frieze,  has  a Greek 
inscription,  and  below  it,  at  the  centre  of  the  architrave,  is 
a representation  of  the  Deity,  sitting  on  a globe,  supported 
by  two  winged  eagles,  on  either  side  of  which  is  a proces- 
sion of  six  figures,  evidently  the  twelve  apostles.  The  cen- 
tral group  readily  calls  to  mind  the  winged  globe  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  and  its  position  over  a doorway  accords 
with  the  ordinary  place  of  that  well-known  emblem.  In- 
deed, this  is  not  the  only  instance  of  the  adoption  of  old 
devices  by  the  early  Egyptian  Christians  ; the  tau , or  sign 
of  life,  was  commonly  used  to  head  their  inscriptions 
instead  of  the  cross  ; and  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  disc 
or  globe  of  the  gods  gave  rise  to  the  glory  over  the  heads 
of  saints,  who  were  frequently  painted  on  a coat  of  stucco, 
that  alone  separated  them  from  the  deities,  to  whose  tem- 
ples they  succeeded.” 

Lepsius  informs  us,  that  “ in  the  niche  of  an  ancient  cel- 
la  he  found  St.  Peter,  in  the  ancient  Byzantine  style, 


316 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


holding  the  key,  and  raising  his  finger,  but  beneath  the  half- 
decayed  Christian  casing,  the  cow’s  horns  of  the  goddess 
Ilathor,  the  Egyptian  Venus,  peeped  forth  from  behind  the 
glory ; to  her,  originally,  was  given  the  incense  and  sacrifice 
of  the  king  who  is  standing  by  her  side,  which  now  are 
offered  to  the  venerable  apostle.” 

In  the  great  oasis  of  the  Lybian  desert,  once  extensively 
inhabited  by  Christians,  who  still  have  a convent  within  its 
borders,  the  same  author  found  upon  the  tombs  of  tjie  early 
Christians,  instead  of  the  cross,  the  Egyptian  symbol  of  life, 
which  resembles  the  letter  T surmounted  by  the  letter  O — 
(thus,  y)  — a beautiful  emblem,  but  far  less  expressive  than 
the  vine,  the  dove,  the  anchor,  the  palm,  or  the  simple  mon- 
ogram of  Christ,  found  upon  the  contemporaneous  tombs  in 
the  catacombs  of  Rome.  In  some  of  the  catacombs  before 
referred  to,  in  the  mountains  on  the  shores  of  the  Nile,  are 
figures  of  saints  painted  on  the  walls,  and  niches  cut  into 
them,  the  work  of  the  Christians  who  took  refuge  in  them 
during  the  persecutions  of  the  second  and  third  centuries. 
And  I have  described  at  Thebes  a large  fresco  of  the  fourth 
century,  recently  discovered  upon  the  walls  of  an  old  Egyp- 
tian temple,  which,  in  addition  to  the  usual  figures  of  the 
apostles,  represents  St.  George  — the  patron  saint  of  Egypt 
— mounted  upon  a horse,  and  contending  with  the  dragon, 
the  same  subject  which  is  rudely  sculptured  upon  the  Dom- 
Icirche  in  which  Erasmus  preached  at  Basle,  and  which  has 
been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  saints’  calendar  in  England. 
Such  a picture  in  such  a place,  while  it  shows  the  affinity  of 
the  Christianity  of  that  age  with  the  Paganism  to  which  it 
had  succeeded,  shows  also  how  completely  it  had  supplanted 
Paganism  in  its  relations  to  the  state.  The  old  idolatry  and 
the  old  royalty  were  closely  interlinked.  The  priest  and 
the  king  went  hand  in  hand.  The  king  built  the  temple, 
and  the  priests  engaged  its  divinities  to  honor  and  to  uphold 


EARLY  CHRISTIANITY  IN  EGYPT. 


317 


the  king.  Imagine,  then,  the  utter  subversion  of  the  old 
idolatry  in  its  outward  relations,  when  the  temples  built  at 
such  cost  and  with  such  magnificence  by  the  Pharaohs  and 
the  Ptolemies,  for  the  worship  of  Amun,  of  Isis,  of  Osiris, 
and  the  other  divinities  of  their  mythology,  were  occupied 
as  Christian  churches,  their  walls  being  first  defaced,  or 
covered  with  the  emblems  of  the  new  religion.  But  at 
Thebes,  besides  the  painting  just  mentioned,  are  rude 
crosses  and  figures  of  Christ  and  the  apostles  depicted  upon 
another  temple  ; and  in  the  very  heart  of  the  great  temple 
of  Medeenet  Habou  the  remains  of  a church  built  there 
when  this  was  the  see  of  a Greek  bishop,  just  as  at  the 
reformation  in  Scotland,  Presbyterian  conventicles  were 
built  within  the  demolished  walls  of  the  old  abbeys  of  the 
monks.  Other  smaller  temples,  built  upon  the  mountains 
to  the  west  of  Thebes,  were  converted  into  convents,  and  in 
this  neighborhood  have  been  found  the  remains  of  a Greek 
inscription,  which  is  the  copy  of  “ a letter  from  Athanasius, 
Archbishop  of  Alexandria,  to  the  orthodox  monks.” 

At  Ooptos,  a city  lying  to  the  north  of  Thebes,  and  which 
succeeded  it  as  the  mart  of  Indian  commerce,  the  materials 
of  the  old  pagan  temples  were  taken  to  build  a Christian 
church,  of  which  there  are  still  some  remains.  The  same 
was  the  case  at  Erment,  to  the  south  of  Thebes,  where  are 
the  ruins  of  a large  church.  At  Philse,  which  was  the  holy 
place  of  Egypt,  are  also  evidences  that  the  early  Christians 
converted  the  temples  into  churches,  “ concealing  with  a 
coat  of  clay  or  mortar  the  objects  of  worship  of  their  pagan 
predecessors,”  while  throughout  Nubia  it  is  equally  apparent 
that  the  edifices  of  Egyptian  gods  were  transformed  into  the 
shrines  of  Christian  saints. 

But  the  supremacy  of  the  Christian  religion  in  Egypt  at 
this  era,  is  most  strikingly  evidenced  by  the  edicts  of  the 
Emperor  Theodosius  for  the  destruction  of  the  temple  of 
*27* 


318 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


Sera  pis  at  Alexandria,  and  for  the  abolition  of  his  worship, 
as  he  had  also  abolished  the  Eleusinian  mysteries  at  Athens. 
Serapis  was  the  deity  worshipped  by  the  pagan  Greeks  and 
Romans  of  Alexandria.  He  was  probably  but  a new  form 
of  the  great  Egyptian  Osiris.  The  extent  to  which  he  was 
worshipped  may  be  inferred  from  the  statement  of  the  Em- 
peror Adrian,  who  visited  Egypt  in  a.  d.  122,  and  again  in 
a. d.  130.  He  says  of  the  citizens  of  Alexandria,  “They 
have  one  god  (Serapis),  whom  the  Christians,  Jews,  and 
Gentiles  worship.  Those  who  call  themselves  followers  of 
Christ  pay  their  devotions  to  Serapis;  every  chief  of  a 
Jewish  synagogue,  every  Samaritan,  each  Christian  priest, 
the  mathematicians,  soothsayers,  and  physicians  in  the  gym- 
nasia, all  acknowledged  Serapis.  The  Patriarch  himself, 
whenever  he  goes  into  Egypt,  is  obliged  by  some  to  worship 
Serapis,  by  others  Christ.”  * 

As  respects  the  Christians,  probably  this  statement  of  a 
heathen,  though  a tolerant  emperor,  is  exaggerated  and  not 
very  discriminating.  Some  nominal  Christians  may  have 
acknowledged  Serapis  as  the  great  divinity  of  Alexandria, 
just  as  some  in  the  early  church  at  Corinth  leaned  to  their 
old  idolatry ; but  that  the  Christians  generally  worshipped 
Serapis  is  hardly  consistent  with  their  zeal  in  later  years 
for  the  destruction  of  his  temple.  This  event  is  thus  elo- 
quently described  by  the  historian  Gibbon.  “ The  pious 
indignation  of  Theophilus,  the  then  Governor  of  Alexandria, 
was  directed  against  the  debasing  rites  with  which  this  deity 
was  worshipped,  and  the  insults  which  he  offered  to  an  ancient 
chapel  of  Bacchus  convinced  the  pagans  that  he  meditated 
a more  important  and  dangerous  enterprise.  In  the  tumultu- 
ous capital  of  Egypt,  the  slightest  provocation  was  sufficient 
to  inflame  a civil  war.  The  votaries  of  Serapis,  -whose 


Quoted  by  Wilkinson. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  IDOLATRY. 


319 


strength  and  numbers  were  much  inferior  to  those  of  their 
antagonists,  rose  in  arms  at  the  instigation  of  the  philosopher 
Olympius,  who  exhorted  them  to  die  in  defence  of  the  altars 
of  the  gods.  These  pagan  fanatics  fortified  themselves  in 
the  temple,  or  rather  fortress,  of  Serapis,  repelled  the  be- 
siegers by  daring  sallies  and  a resolute  defence  ; and,  by  the 
inhuman  cruelties  which  they  exercised  on  their  Christian 
prisoners,  obtained  .the  last  consolation  of  despair.  The 
efforts  of  the  prudent  magistrate  were  usefully  exerted  for 
the  establishment  of  a truce,  till  the  answer  of  Theodosius 
should  determine  the  fate  of  Serapis.  The  two  parties 
assembled  without  arms  in  the  principal  square,  and  the 
imperial  rescript  was  publicly  read.  But  when  a sentence 
of  destruction  against  the  idols  of  Alexandria  was  pro- 
nounced, the  Christians  set  up  a shout  of  joy  and  exultation, 
whilst  the  unfortunate  pagans,  whose  fury  had  given  way  to 
consternation,  retired  with  hasty  and  silent  steps,  and  eluded 
by  their  flight  or  obscurity  the  resentment  of  their  enemies. 
Theophilus  proceeded  to  demolish  the  temple  of  Serapis, 
without  any  other  difficulties  than  those  which  he  found  in 
the  weight  and  solidity  of  the  materials ; but  these  obstacles 
proved  so  insuperable  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the  foun- 
dations, and  to  content  himself  with  reducing  the  edifice 
itself  to  a heap  of  rubbish,  a part  of  which  was  soon  after 
cleared  away,  to  make  room  for  a church  erected  in  honor 
of  the  Christian  martyrs.  The  colossal  statue  of  Serapis 
was  involved  in  the  ruin  of  his  temple  and  religion.  A 
great  number  of  plates  of  different  metals,  artificially  joined 
together,  composed  the  majestic  figure  of  the  deity,  who 
touched  on  either  side  the  walls  of  the  sanctuary.  The 
huge  idol  was  overthrown  and  broken  to  pieces,  and  the 
parts  of  Serapis  were  ignominiously  dragged  through  the 
streets  of  Alexandria.” 

Such  was  the  final  inauguration  of  Christianity  in  Egypt 


320 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


over  the  prostrate  idolatry  of  more  than  two  thousand  years. 
But  the  emperor,  who  demolished  superstition  in  one  form, 
fostered  it  in  another,  as  in  his  mission  to  John  the  Hermit, 
of  Wolf-town.  The  liberty  and  the  diversity  of  worship 
always  allowed  to  the  cities  and  nomes  of  the  Nile  valley, 
favored  the  dissemination  there  of  a new  religion,  backed  by 
imperial  authority. 

Down  to  the  time  of  the  Arab  conquest,  Christianity 
retained  its  nominal  hold  upon  Egypt,  and  the  churches 
and  convents  of  the  Copts  were  numerous  and  flourishing. 
Then  followed  persecution  and  a religious  war  of  extermi- 
nation on  the  part  of  the  Mohammedan  conqueror. 

After  the  Arab  came  the  Turk,  as  the  nominal  con- 
queror and  ruler  of  Egypt,  — though  it  was  not  till  the 
eighteenth  century  that  the  Osmanli  finally  came  into  the 
occupation  of  the  country  which  they  had  held  in  fealty 
for  centuries, — and  thus  without  changing  her  religion, 
Egypt  changed  her  foreign  master  for  at  least  the  fifth 
time  since  the  decree  went  forth  that  u there  shall  he  no 
more  a 'prince  or  native  dynasty  of  the  land  of  Egypt.” 
(Ezek.  xxx.  13.) 

The  only  impression  made  upon  Egypt  hy  the  crusaders 
in  the  middle  ages,  was  the  capture  and  the  sacking  of  a 
few  towns  in  the  Delta,  while  it  was  from  Egypt  that 
Saladin  went  forth,  who  retook  Jerusalem  from  the  crusa- 
ders, a.  d.  1187.  From  that  time  till  the  final  Turkish 
invasion,  the  Mohammedan  kings  of  Egypt  held  almost 
uninterrupted  possession  of  the  Holy  Land,  — sometimes 
extending  their  dominion  eastward  to  the  borders  of  the 
Euphrates.  The  mosque  of  Omar  occupies  the  site  of  the 
temple  of  Solomon  at  Jerusalem,  and  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
from  which  Solomon  drew  so  largely  his  supplies,  the 
mosque  supplants  alike  the  pagan  temple  and  the  Christian 
church. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  IDOLATRY. 


321 


This  review  of  the  religious  history  of  Egypt  impresses 
the  mind  with  the  fact  of  a retributive  Providence  in  the 
government  of  nations.  The  Bible  is  full  of  this  doctrine, 
and  history  is  pregnant  with  its  illustration.  Take  Ezekiel  for 
a text,  and  Egypt  for  a comment.  No  doubt  natural  causes 
can  be  traced  that  contributed  to  this  destruction.  But  in 
the  height  of  its  prosperity,  Ezekiel  predicted  for  Egypt  a 
ruin  as  remote  from  all  human  calculation  as  is  now  the 
desplation  of  London  or  of  New  York.  And  the  reason 
given  is  the  pride  and  self-sufficiency,  the  idolatry  and 
unrighteousness  of  Egypt,  — her  departure  from  the  Lord. 
Egypt  knew  the  true  God  ; in  the  time  of  Abraham,  in  the 
time  of  Joseph,  in  the  time  of  Moses,  when  these  men 
of  God  were  near  the  person  of  the  monarch.  But  Egypt 
rejected  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  rejected  her.  “ Them  that 
honor  me  I will  honor , and  they  that  despise  me  shall  he  lightly 
esteemed .”  This  is  a great  lesson  for  America  to  ponder.  If 
the  people  of  the  United  States  grow  proud  of  their  political 
and  commercial  strength,  and  put  their  trust  in  these,  and 
especially  if  for  the  sake  of  these  they  sacrifice  or  neglect 
any  principle  of  national  justice,  or  any  claim  of  equity 
or  of  humanity,  the  God  who  smote  Egypt  and  Persia  and 
Greece  and  Rome  will  assuredly  smite  them  also.  * “ These 
things  happened  to  them  for  ensamples ; and  they  are 
written  for  our  admonition,  upon  whom  the  ends  of  the 
world  are  come.” 

This  lesson  is  the  more  impressive  from  the  fact  that  in 
Egypt  Christianity  attained  to  influence  and  dominion,  trans- 
formed the  temples  of  the  old  idolatry  into  sanctuaries  for 
the  worship  of  the  true  God,  and  had  in  her  hands  the 
moulding  of  the  nations ; but  proved  false  to  her  trust, 
baptized  the  divinities  and  the  superstitions  of  heathenism 
and  adopted  them  as  her  own,  became  degenerate  and 
corrupt,  ministered  to  the  ambition  of  the  few  at  the  cost  of 


322 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


the  degradation  of  the  many,  revived  a priesthood  that 
Christ  had  superseded  by  fulfilling  all  its  offices  in  himself, 
and  at  length  required  to  be  swept  away  by  the  fiery  deluge 
of  the  Mohammedan  invasion. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


HOPE  FOR  EGYPT  — THE  COPTS,  THEIR  HISTORY  AND 
RITUAL A PLEA  FOR  MISSIONS. 

Christianity,  though  decayed  and  withered  in  the  land  of 
Egypt,  is  not  yet  extinct.  It  is  an  interesting  and  a most 
significant  fact,  that,  notwithstanding  the  persecutions  they 
have  endured  from  pagan  emperors  and  from  Mohammedan 
kings,  nearly  all  the  original  stock  of  the  country  that 
remain  at  this  day  are  nominal  Christians.  These  are  known 
as  Copts , and  they  claim  to  have  preserved  intact  the  blood 
of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  through  all  the  changes  of  their 
country ; — a claim  not  without  reason,  since  neither  the 
Persians,  the  Greeks,  nor  the  Romans  supplanted  the  orig- 
inal inhabitants  of  the  country,  and  since  religious  preju- 
dices have  been  a barrier  to  the  intermarriage  of  Moham- 
medans and  Christians. 

Latham  classifies  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  Atlantidce: 
“ hair  fine,  and  either  waved  or  curly ; skull  with  an  upright 
frontal,  and  a moderately  depressed  nasal  profile;  color 
darker  than  that  of  the  Greek,  lighter  than  that  of  the  Nu- 
bian ; perhaps  brown  with  tinges  of  yellow  and  red.”  “ Copts: 
hair  black  and  crisp  or  curled  ; cheek-bones  projecting ; lips 
thick ; nose  somewhat  depressed  ; nostrils  wide  ; complexion 
varied  from  a yellowish  to  a dark  brown ; eyes  oblique ; 
frame  tall  and  fleshy ; physiognomy  heavy  and  inexpressive.” 

The  Arab  tradition  is,  that  Copt  was  a son  of  Mizraim  — 
the  second  son  of  Ham,  who  built  Egypt  — and  that,  having 


324 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


wrested  from  his  brothers  their  share  of  the  patrimony,  he 
gave  his  name  to  the  whole  country.  The  Arabs  now  call 
a Copt  Gupt,  from  Coptos , gupta , meaning  inclosed,  guarded, 
fortified,  which  is  also  the  signification  of  Mizraim,  a fortress. 
From  Copt  and  Copliti,  Egypt  and  Egyptians  are  easily 
derived.  Though  speaking  the  Arabic,  the  Copts  also  retain 
their  original  language,  which  has  marked  affinities  with 
the  Hebrew,  and  with  the  whole  Shemitic  family.  Thus  the 
Zoan  of  the  Scriptures,  called  Tanis  by  the  Greeks,  and 
San  or  Zan  by  the  Arabs,  is  called  Gani  by  the  Copts ; the 
Ham  or  Khem  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  is  Cliem  in  the 
Coptic  ; the  ancient  Syene  of  the  Scriptures,  now  the  Assuan 
of  the  Arabs,  is,  in  the  Coptic,  Souan.  A,  version  of  the 
Scriptures  was  very  early  made  in  this  language,  manuscript 
copies  of  which  may  be  seen  in  the  Coptic  convents  and 
churches. 

In  the  city  of  Cairo  there  are  about  sixty  thousand  Copts, 
in  a population  of  two  hundred  thousand ; and  from  what  I 
have  seen  of  them  in  the  towns  and  villages  of  the  Upper 
Nile,  I should  think  that  there  are  as  many  more  scattered 
through  the  country,  equal  in  all  to  one  fifteenth  part  of  the 
whole  population.  A large  proportion  of  the  villagers  at 
Thebes,  on  both  sides  of  the  Nile,  are  Copts.  The  religious 
condition  of  so  numerous  a body  of  professed  Christians,  is 
of  itself  a matter  of  interest,  apart  from  their  relations  to 
the  Mohammedan  population  around  them,  and  to  the  future 
evangelization  of  their  own  country. 

Both  in  their  ecclesiastical  organization,  in  their  doctrinal 
belief,  and  in  their  church  usages  and  mode  of  worship,  the 
Copts  have  departed  less  from  the  New  Testament  than 
have  the  Roman  Catholics.  The  government  of  the  Coptic 
Church  is  Episcopal.  Its  head  is  a patriarch , who  is  elected 
from  among  the  fathers  of  one  of  the  principal  monasteries, 
and  who  now  resides  at  Cairo.  In  this  respect,  the  Coptic 


THE  COPTS,  THEIR  HISTORY  AND  RITUAL.  325 

Church  corresponds  with  the  Greek,  Armenian,  Nestorian, 
and  other  oriental  churches,  which  have  never  acknowl- 
edged the  supremacy  of  the  Pope.  The  Abyssinian  branch 
of  the  Coptic  Church  is  under  the  superintendence  of  a 
mutran,  who  is  now  the  only  dignitary  of  that  name,  and 
who,  at  his  death,  is  succeeded  by  another  from  Cairo, 
appointed  by  the  patriarch,  and  sent  in  chains  to  his  see,  in 
token  of  his  dependence  upon  the  head  of  the  church. 

Besides  this  patriarch  and  the  mutran , I cannot  learn 
with  certainty  how  many  others  now  exercise  episcopal 
functions  in  the  Coptic  Church.  There  is  a Coptic  bishop 
at  Osioot,  and  others  in  other  chief  towns,  perhaps  twelve 
in  all. 

Next  in  rank  to  a bishop,  is  the  superior  of  a monastery, 
called  a Commos.  “Each  community  of  monks  is  gov- 
erned by  a superior ; some  of  the  monks  are  priests,  with 
the  title  of  father,  and  the  rest  lay  brethren.”  The 
monks  are  not  permitted  to  marry,  nor  is  a female  permit- 
ted to  enter  the  walls  of  a monastery  even  as  a visitor.  A 
widower,  however,  if  he  is  determined  to  abide  in  that  con- 
dition, may  be  received  as  a member  of  the  community. 
Priests,  not  under  monastic  vows,  are  allowed  in  the  Coptic, 
as  in  the  Greek  and  the  Armenian  churches,  to  marry 
once ; and  in  the  convents,  where  the  priests  are  not 
monks,  but  seculars,  the  inmates  are  of  both  sexes.  Of 
course  the  convents  are  open  to  lady  visitors. 

It  is  said  that  the  number  of  monasteries  and  convents  in 
Egypt  and  its  deserts  formerly  amounted  to  three  hundred 
and  sixty-six,  some  of  which  had  numerous  inmates,  and, 
in  connection  with  their  founders  or  their  superiors,  en- 
joyed a world-wide  reputation  for  learning  and  for  sanctity. 
Gibbon  mentions  fifty  in  the  Natron  Valley  alone,  on  the 
confines  of  the  Lybian  Desert,  to  the  north  or  west  of  the 
Delta,  in  one  of  which  “the  ambitious  Cyril  passed  some 
28 


326 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


years,  under  the  restraints  of  a monastic  life.”  Now  there 
are  but  four  monasteries  in  that  valley,  which  contain,  in 
all,  only  about  seventy-five  inmates ; there'  is  a fifth  at 
Gebel  Koskran,  in  Upper  Egypt ; and  there  are  two  in  the 
Eastern  Desert,  near  the  Red  Sea,  which  are  all  the  mon- 
asteries proper  remaining  in  the  country.  The  same  his- 
torian informs  us,  that  “ the  £)esert  of  Nitria.  was  peopled 
by  five  thousand  monks  ; ” and  that  in  the  fourth  century, 
<£  Valens  gave  these  deserters  of  society  the  alternative  of 
renouncing  their  temporal  possessions,  or  of  discharging  the 
public  duties  of  men  and  citizens.” 

The  “ monastery  of  St.  Anthony,”  in  the  Eastern  Desert, 
about  eighteen  miles  from  the  Red  Sea,  has  a historical 
reputation  from  the  name  of  its  founder;  and  since  the 
patriarch  of  the  whole  Coptic  Church  is  now  elected  from 
among  its  fathers,  it  may  be  considered  “ the  principal 
monastery  in  Egypt.”  This  probably  presents  the  best 
specimen  of  a Coptic  community,  and  with  its  respectable 
library,  its  well  kept  and  fruitful  garden,  and  its  grand 
scenery  of  the  mountains,  the  desert,  and  the  sea,  the  most 
inviting  picture  of  monastic  life. 

The  convents  of  Egypt  have  also  greatly  decreased  in 
number  and  in  importance.  Of  these  there  are  three  at 
Cairo,  and  two  at  Old  Cairo,  near  by ; one  at  Alexandria, 
which  pretends  to  possess  the  head  and  body  of  Mark  the 
Evangelist,  notwithstanding  their  alleged  removal  to  Venice; 
and  some  twenty  or  more  on  the  Upper  Nile,  together  with 
some  half  a dozen  in  the  Fyoom  and  the  Oasis  of  the 
Lybian  Desert,  once  the  abode  of  thousands  of  Christians. 
In  some  of  these  convents,  ignorance  and  superstition  have 
usurped  the  place  of  whatever  of  learning  and  of  piety  they 
may  once  have  possessed. 

Travellers  who  have  visited  others,  speak  of  their  com- 
munities as  being  simple-hearted  and  well-disposed,  though 


THE  COPTS,  THEIR  HISTORY  AND  RITUAL.  327 

often  ignorant  and  superstitious.  The  convents  and  their 
precincts  abound  in  rude  pictures  of  the  apostles  and  saints, 
with  crosses  and  other  emblems.  St.  George  is  their  tute- 
lary saint,  who  is  represented  on  a white  horse,  contending 
with  a green  dragon.  At  the  Copt  convent  at  Birbeh,  on 
the  Upper  Nile,  this  saint  sometimes  represents  a Moslem 
sheik  destroying  the  infidels,  — a device  of  the  priests  to 
save  their  church  from  outrage  in  times  of  Moslem  persecu- 
tion. 

Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  describes  the  monks  of  the  Na- 
tron Valley,  who,  till  a recent  period,  elected  the  patriarch 
of  the  Coptic  Church,  as  “ ignorant  even  of  the  history  of 
their  church,”  and  “ little  interested  about  the  ruined  abodes 
of  their  predecessors.”  At  the  “White  Monastery,”  near 
Ekhmim,  a large  building  of  hewn  stone,  dating  from  the 
time  of  the  Empress  Helena,  he  found  the  usual  representa- 
tions of  St.  George,  one  of  which  a little  worldly  wisdom 
has  there  also  transformed  into  a Moslem  sheik. 

But  enough  of  the  convents  and  monasteries  of  the  Copts. 
These  native  Christians  appear  to  better  advantage  in  their 
towns  and  villages.  The  monasteries  and  convents  were 
built  for  seclusion;  and  frequent  persecutions  have  con- 
verted them  into  virtual  fortresses,  whose  inmates  live  in 
fear  of  predatory  Arabs,  and  in  suspicion  of  strangers.  But 
in  the  villages,  the  Coptic  people  are  open  and  free,  and 
with  all  their  superstitions,  give  marked  evidences  of  their 
superiority  to  their  Moslem  neighbors.  Some  villages  on 
the  Upper  Nile  are  inhabited  almost  exclusively  by  Copts, 
while  in  others  they  form  a considerable  part  of  the  popula- 
tion. Near  Cairo  is  a Coptic  village  known  as  “ the  Con- 
vents ; ” a town  once  built  by  them  opposite  Minieh  is  now 
deserted ; but  there  are  many  Copts  in  Minieh  itself,  — a 
place  of  extensive  sugar  factories  ; further  to  the  south,  the 
villages  of  Byadeeh  and  el  Korsayr  are  inhabited  by  Copts, 


328 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


and  much  of  the  intervening  district,  on  both  sides  of  the 
river,  is  cultivated  by  them.  And  here  I can  fully  indorse 
the  remark  of  Mr.  Wilkinson,  that  “ in  examining  the  fields, 
particularly  about  Byadeeh , one  is  forcibly  struck  with  the 
superiority  of  the  Copt  over  the  Moslem  fellah,  (peasant,) 
all  that  relates  to  irrigation  being  much  better  managed 
there  than  in  other  parts  of  the  country.”  In  walking 
through  the  villages  of  this  district,  one  is  struck  also  with 
the  superior  style  of  the  houses,  the  better  arrangement  of 
the  streets,  the  general  aspect  of  comfort,  and  the  marked 
civility  of  the  people.  Still  further  south,  the  large  town  of 
Manfaloot,  once  a bishop’s  see,  numbers  some  two  hundred 
Copts,  with  priests  and  a church ; and  Osiout,  the  capital  of 
Upper  Egypt,  is  still  the  residence  of  a bishop.  The  dark 
turban  of  the  Copt  is  seen  frequently  in  its  streets,  and 
sometimes  graces  such  perfect  features,  such  soulful  eyes, 
and  a complexion  so  rich  and  beautiful,  as  to  realize  the 
poetic  ideal  of  the  human  face  divine.  Girgeh,  the  former 
capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  was  founded  by  the  Copts,  and 
was  named  from  their  patron  saint,  George.  This  town  had 
formerly  u the  largest  and  most  opulent  monastery  ” in  all 
Egypt,  “ inhabited  by  upwards  of  two  hundred  monks,  who 
possessed  much  land  in  the  neighborhood.  They  supplied 
food  to  all  travellers ; and  so  great  was  the  amount  of  their 
revenues,  that  they  annually  sent  a large  sum  to  the 
Patriarch  of  Cairo,  to  be  distributed  among  the  poor  of 
their  own  persuasion.”  These  monks  were  swept  away  by 
the  plague,  after  which  their  property  was  seized,  and  now 
but  about  thirty  occupy  the  reduced  establishment.  Many 
Copts  are  here  met  in  the  streets,  but  a considerable  number 
have  been  perverted  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  of 
whose  operations  in  Egypt  I have  already  spoken.  At 
Negadeh,  near  Thebes,  are  twenty-five  hundred  Copts,  with 
two  churches  and  a convent. 


THE  COPTS,  THEIR  HISTORY  AND  RITUAL.  329 

In  all  the  towns  and  villages  where  they  are  found,  the 
Copts  appear  well  dressed,  intelligent,  industrious,  and  in 
all  respects  superior  to  the  great  body  of  the  population. 
Indeed,  I do  not  remember  to  have  seen  a beggar  among 
them.  Many  of  them  can  read  and  write,  and  their 
children  are  generally  taught  in  both  the  Coptic  and  the 
Arabic  languages.  The  children  write  with  ink  upon  plates 
of  sheet  tin,  and  I have  seen  some  very  pretty  specimens 
of  their  penmanship,  the  lines  running,  as  in  all  oriental 
languages,  from  right  to  left.  The  fact  that  the  profession 
of  Scribes  is  almost  universally  in  the  hands  of  the  Copts, 
shows  their  superior  education  ; though  Mr.  Stephens  styles 
this  an  “ inferior,  if  not  degrading  profession.”  I am 
surprised  that  an  American  should  place  a respectable  clerk, 
who  can  read  and  write,  below  a conceited  official  who  can 
do  neither.  To  me  the  fact  that  the  Copts  are  so  generally 
employed  by  the  Moslems  to  keep  their  accounts,  and  to  do 
whatever  writing  they  may  need,  is  very  far  from  stamping 
them  as  “ a race  of  degraded  beggars,  lifeless  and  soulless,” 
. . . . “ living  as  slaves  in  the  land  where  their  fathers 
reigned  as  masters.” 

At  a large  sugar  factory  belonging  to  the  Pasha,  at 
Minieh,  I noticed  that  all  the  secretaries,  or  bookkeepers, 
as  we  should  call  them,  were  Copts,  while  most  of  the  other 
employees  were  Mohammedans.  The  Copts  were  evidently 
put  at  the  head  of  the  establishment,  because  they  were  the 
only  persons  competent  for  such  a post.  Each  scribe  wore 
in  his  girdle  a long  narfow  brass  box,  or  shaft,  terminating 
at  one  end  in  an  inkstand,  and  filled  with  sharpened  reeds. 
This  no  doubt  answers  to  the  “writer’s  inkhorn,”  which 
Ezekiel  mentions  as  carried  by  the  side  or  upon  the  loins ; 
and  is  certainly  a more  honorable  badge  than  the  short 
sword  and  the  horse  pistol  of  the  Janissary,  worn  in  likfe 
manner  in  the  girdle. 


28* 


330 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


At  another  factory  belonging  to  the  government,  I saw  a 
Coptic  scribe  seated  on  the  ground,  with  a number  of 
Mohammedan  workmen  about  him,  whose  names  he  was 
calling  in  order  to  pay  them  their  wages;  and  at  other 
places  I have  seen  a Copt  wearing  an  inkhorn,  summoned 
when  a little  waiting  was  to  be  done,  — for  in  Egypt  the 
writer  hangs  out  his  sign  from  his  girdle.  The  instruction 
of  the  children  of  Mohammedans  is  usually  confined  to 
learning  by  rote  a few  precepts  from  the  Koran,  and  hence 
there  are  not  many  of  these  who  can  use  the  pen.  The 
fact  of  the  employment  of  Copts  as  scribes  has  been  favora- 
bly noticed  by  other  travellers.  The  “ Mission  of  Inquiry 
from  the  Church  of  Scotland,”  which  passed  through  Egypt 
some  ten  years  since,  on  their  way  to  Palestine,  allude  to  it 
in  their  journal  in  the  following  terms.  At  El  Arish,  they 
say,  “the  governor  was  interrogating  a native  Christian  who 
stood  by.  This  man  was  a Christian  Copt.  He  told  us  in 
broken  Italian  that  he  was  rejoiced  to  meet  us,  because, 
being  almost  the  only  Christian  in  the  place,  he  is  much 
despised.  He  wore  a writer’s  inkhorn  by  his  side,  which 
intimates  that  the  person  is  so  far  superior  to  the  gen- 
erality, that  he  can  at  least  read  and  write.  At  our 
request,  the  Copt  took  out  his  reeds  and  wrote  very 
elegantly.  On  one  of  his  arms  he  showed  us  the  figure 
of  Christ  on  the  cross,  and  the  Virgin  Mary,  punctured, 
apparently,  either  with  henna , or  gunpowder.”  I have 
frequently  had  Copts  show  me  the  same  sign. 

Many  of  the  Copts,  like  the  Armenians  in  Turkey,  are 
wealthy  merchants.  It  is  the  testimony  of  Polybius,  who 
visited  Egypt  in  the  second  century  before  Christ,  that  the 
native  Egyptians  were  “ a keen  and  civilized  race ; ” and 
two  thousand  years  of  oppression  under  foreign  masters 
have  not  wholly  effaced  these  traits.  The  Copts  are  still 
“keen  and  civilized,”  in  comparison  with  Egyptians  who 


A PLEA  FOR  MISSIONS. 


331 


have  sprung  from  an  Arab  or  a Turkish  stock.  A few 
examples  will  illustrate  their  present  commercial  position. 
In  Egypt  the  same  system  of  customs  exists  as  in  France; 
not  only  are  duties  levied  upon  foreign  imports  on  entering 
the  country,  but  an*  additional  tax  is  levied  upon  goods 
brought  into  the  principal  cities.  There  is  a tariff  between 
Alexandria  and  Cairo,  as  well  as  between  Alexandria  and 
the  rest  of  the  world.  The  duties  for  Cairo  are  collected  at 
its  port  of  Boulak,  and  “the  whole  are  farmed  by  some 
wealthy  Copt  or  Armenian  merchant.”  The  ability  to 
assume  such  a responsibility  argues  much  wealth  among 
these  Christian  merchants.  The  Copts  occupy  a separate 
quarter  in  Cairo,  and  have  some  valuable  shops  in  the 
bazaar ; some  of  their  houses  are  said  to  be  fitted  up  in  a 
very  comfortable  manner.  At  Menzaleh,  whose  lake  affords 
the  principal  fisheries  of  Egypt,  the  whole  business  is 
farmed  from  the  government  by  some  wealthy  “ Christian 
speculators;”  and  every  morning  “a  Turkish  overseer  and 
a Christian  scribe”  repair  to  the  spot  where  the  boats 
discharge  their  cargoes,  to  take  an  account  of  each  and  to 
pay  the  fishermen.  Here,  again,  no  small  capital  is  needed, 
but  it  seems  the  native  Christians  have  both  the  capital  and 
the  enterprise  for  such  a business.  In  short,  where  business 
taet  and  enterprise  are  required,  and  where  business  thrift 
is  evidenced,  the  difference  between  the  Copts  and  their 
Moslem  neighbors  is  as  striking  as  between  the  Protestant 
and  the  Roman  Catholic  countries  of  Europe.  The  Copts 
are  even  now  the  best  race  on  the  soil  of  Egypt. 

I cannot  doubt  that  they  have  been  so  long  preserved  a 
separate  people,  as  tenacious  as  the  Jews  of  their  language 
and  their  religion,  because  of  some  special  design  of  Provi- 
dence for  the  revival  of  Christianity  through  them  in  Egypt 
and  in  Ethiopia,  and  the  evangelization  of  the  vast  interior 
of  Africa.  And  1 deem  it  of  the  utmost  importance  that  a 


332 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PEESENT. 


mission  should  be  sent  to  Egypt  by  Christians  in  the 
United  States,  to  visit  the  Copts  wherever  they  can  be 
found,  to  gather  facts  respecting  their  condition,  to  acquaint 
them  with  the  condition  of  the  American  churches,  to  revive 
in  their  minds  the  primitive  truths  of  the  Gospel  and  the 
spirit  of  the  primitive  Christians,  to  introduce  among  them 
religious  books  and  tracts,  and  to  encourage  family  religion 
and  Christian  education,  and  thus  to  prepare  the  way  for 
such  a permanent  work  among  these  Copts  as  has  been 
established  among  the  Armenians  and  the  Nestorians,  and 
has  there  been  so  signally  blessed  of  God.  Such  a mission 
should  consist  of  at  least  two  persons,  well  versed  in  church 
history  and  institutions,  as  well  as  in  the  Scriptures,  affable 
and  discreet,  shrewd  and  discriminating,  single-hearted  and 
simple-hearted  in  their  devotion  to  Christ  and  His  cause. 
One  of  them  certainly  should  be  able  to  speak  Arabic 
fluently,  and  one  of  them  should  have  a knowledge  of 
medicine,  and  especially  of  the  treatment  of  dysentery  and 
ophthalmia  — the  prevailing  diseases  of  Egypt. 

The  practice  of  medicine  in  Egypt,  out  of  Alexandria 
and  Cairo,  is  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  barbers  and 
derwishes  — a set  of  religious  enthusiasts  ; but  the  impres- 
sion is  becoming  general  among  the  people,  that  the  Franks 
have  a knowledge  of  all  diseases,  and  are  skilful  in  the 
treatment  of  them.  We  have  been  repeatedly  applied  to 
for  medical  advice,  both  by  our  crew  and  by  villagers,  and 
though  our  prescriptions  have  never  ranged  beyond  Daily’s 
Pain  Extractor  for  wounds  and  bruises,  and  a little  camphor 
or  red  pepper  well  disguised  in  hot  water  and  sugar,  for 
colds  and  inward  pains,  they  have  always  worked  like  a 
charm  ! One  man,  with  whose  chronic  dyspepsia  we  would 
not  meddle,  offered  sheep,  goats,  oxen,  any  thing  for  a cure. 
A judicious  physician  would  pave  the  way  for  a missionary 
teacher ; but  at  first  he  should  not  attempt  the  cure  of  doubt- 


A TLEA  FOR  MISSIONS. 


333 


ful  cases,  for  a death  under  his  hands  would  only  exasperate 
a people  so  ignorant  of  science,  so  strong  in  their  prejudices, 
and  so  full  of  superstitions. 

That  my  earnestness  is  not  a zeal  without  knowledge,  will 
appear  from  the  following  incident.  As  I was  walking  one 
day  on  the  bank  of  the  Upper  Nile,  I met  a well-dressed, 
intelligent  looking  man,  whom  I took  to  be  a Copt,  who 
answered  my  salamat  (“  salutations  ”)  with  more  than  the 
usual  cordiality  of  the  natives,  and  immediately  tendered  me 
hi^  pipe.  I asked  him  if  he  was  a Copt  Christian,  to  which 
he  answered  in  the  affirmative,  at  the  same  time  showing  me 
the  cross  punctured  into  his  arm.  As  there  were  several 
Mussulmen  around,  he  walked  on  towards  our  boat,  some 
half  a mile  in  advance.  When  we  were  out  of  their  hearing, 
I said  to  him  “ Mohammed  ma  feesh  ” (Mohammed  nothing, 
or  No  Mohammed).  He  repeated  the  name  Mohammed 
and  spit  at  it  in  token  of  his  contempt.  I then  made  the 
cross  with  my  fingers,  uttered  the  name  of  Christ  and 
pointed  to  the  heart,  to  which  he  fully  responded.  I never 
so  longed  for  the  gift  of  tongues,  as  while  walking  by  the 
side  of  a professed  Christian,  who  was  accompanying  me 
from  mere  good-will,  without  being  able  to  speak  a word  of 
our  common  Lord.  When  we  reached  the  boat  I learned 
from  him,  through  an  interpreter,  that  there  were  several 
Copts  in  the  neighborhood ; that  they  had  the  Bible  and 
schools  for  their  children,  and  that  they  would  welcome 
among  them  a missionary  from  America.  A similar  wel- 
come at  Negadeh,  I have  already  described. 

On  Easter  Sunday  I attended  service  at  sunrise  in  the 
Coptic  church  at  Cairo.  I cannot  describe  to  others  what 
was  in  a great  measure  unintelligible  to  myself,  but  will 
give  a brief  outline  of  the  service,  which  lasted  for  more 
than  two  hours.  The  church  is  a plain  building  about 
ninety  feet  by  sixty.  It  is  divided  by  screens  of  wood  into 


334 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


several  compartments.  First,  near  the  door  at  the  front  of 
the  building,  is  a section  appropriated  to  the  women,  who 
are  entirely  screened  from  view,  and  can  only  look  upon  the 
service  through  a close  lattice-work.  Next  is  a room  about 
forty  by  sixty,  with  a low  screen  running  crosswise  through 
the  centre,  and  a high  screen  on  its  inner  boundary ; here  is 
another  apartment  thirty  by  sixty,  containing  the  reading- 
desk,  etc.,  and  beyond  this  are  screened  rooms  containing 
the  altar,  the  priests’  vestments,  and  the  tombs  of  deceased 
priests.  Thus  there  are  two  principal  apartments  or  sections 
for  males,  and  one  for  females.  The  screens  may  be  partly 
opened  by  means  of  doors. 

When  I entered,  I was  beckoned  forward  to  a vacant  spot 
near  the  reading-desk,  where  I sat  down  upon  the  floor  with 
the  rest,  until  a chair  was  brought  to  me.  This  section  was 
carpeted ; the  others  were  covered  with  mats  ; several  hun- 
dred persons  were  present,  all  seated  on  the  floor.  Two  of 
the  officiating  priests  sat  on  the  floor  by  my  side. 

The  service  was  wholly  liturgical  and  ceremonial.  A 
priest  would  chant  awhile  from  a book,  and  a chorus  of  boys 
would  respond,  and  then  the  whole  congregation  would  join, 
while  a pair  of  cymbals  rudely  beat  the  time.  Again,  a 
little  boy  would  chant,  and  the  congregation  would  join  in 
the  chorus.  The  Scriptures  were  read  in  the  lessons  for 
the  day.  After  this,  the  priest  entered  the  sanctum  and 
stood  before  the  altar,  where  the  censer,  which  had  already 
been  used  to  sprinkle  his  books  and  his  vestments,  was 
swung  until  the  whole  space  was  filled  with  incense.  Before 
him  on  the  altar  was  a vase,  from  which  he  removed  several 
cloths,  holding  them  up  in  pairs  to  be  sprinkled  with  incense, 
and  then  muttered  a low  chant,  to  which  the  boys  responded. 
At  length  the  vase  was  uncovered,  and  disclosed  a picture 
of  Christ,  at  sight  of  which  the  congregation,  who  had  risen 
during  the  chanting,  crossed  themselves  and  bowed  their 


A PLEA  FOR  MISSIONS. 


335 


heads.  Finally,  to  my  surprise  and  horror,  the  priest  lifted 
up  the  consecrated  elements,  just  as  I saw  the  Pope  do  at 
Rome  on  Christmas  day,  and  marched  with  them  through 
the  church,  while  here,  as  in  St.  Peter’s,  the  people  un- 
covered their  heads  and  bowed  to  the  ground.  Then  the 
cymbals  struck  up,  the  brethren  embraced  each  other,  and  a 
procession  of  collectors  with  candles  and  baskets,  and  of 
beggars,  passed  through  the  congregation.  Several  times 
the  subalterns  bowed  before  the  priest,  and  kissed  the  ground 
and  received  his  benediction.  The  little  boys  who  assisted 
in  the  service  did  the  same,  and  I was  amused  to  see  one 
little  fellow,  about  five  years  old,  watch  his  chance,  and  go 
through  the  ceremony.  The  congregation  was  utterly  void 
of  seriousness.  A boy  made  a mistake  in  reading,  and  the 
priest  began  the  wrong  lesson  for  the  day ; both  were  cor- 
rected by  several  voices,  and  this  caused  a titter , in  which 
the  priests  joined.  I saw  a priest  at  the  desk,  in  the  midst 
of  the  service,  getting  a piastre  changed  into  coppers  against 
the  approach  of  the  beggars’  procession.  The  whole  service 
was  formalism , without  even  the  element  of  superstition 
found  in  Roman  Catholic  churches  to  give  it  an  air  of  de- 
votion. Throughout,  there  was  loud  talking  and  confusion. 
The  church  has  rude  pictures  of  Christ,  the  Apostles,  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  St.  George  and  the  Dragon.  Before 
some  of  these  are  altars  and  shrines. 

I was  grieved  to  find  the  Copts  so  much  further  gone  in 
formalism  than  I had  supposed.  Their  worship  differs  from 
that  of  the  Romanists,  in  giving  more  prominence  to  the 
Scriptures,  and  in  allowing  the  people  to  participate  in  the 
chants.  But  the  priest  is  evidently  honored  as  a holy 
character,  he  officiates  with  his  back  to  the  people,  rever- 
ence is  paid  to  the  pictures,  and  the  host  is  adored. 

This  will  show  the  folly  of  attempting  to  resuscitate  such 
a church  upon  its  present  foundation,  or  by  an  agency  that 


336 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


symbolizes  with  it.  There  must  be  reformation,  not  eccle- 
siastical “ fraternization,”  but  thorough  evangelization , which 
must  issue  in  the  separation  of  the  false  from  the  true. 
Rev.  Mr.  Leider  has  done  good  among  the  Copts ; but  his 
theological  school  is  abandoned,  and  the  young  men  whom 
he  had  instructed,  refuse  on  conscientious  grounds  to  enter 
the  priesthood  of  their  corrupted  chinch.  His  school  for 
boys  is  abandoned  for  want  of  means  and  helpers,  though 
Mrs.  Leider  continues  that  for  girls,  which  embraces  both 
Copts  and  Mohammedans.  The  way  is  open,  therefore,  for 
new  agencies,  without  infringing  upon  other  men’s  labors  or 
undervaluing  their  work.  A firman  from  the  Sultan  should 
be  procured  before  entering  the  field.  ; 

Shall  not  this  land,  where  Abraham  sojourned,  and 
where  Jacob  died,  where  Joseph  was  exalted,  and  where 
Moses  was  born  and  nurtured,  — this  land  that  gave  a refuge 
to  the  infant  Jesus  from  the  wrath  of  Herod,  and  that  in 
after  years  was  itself  baptized  with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  — 
shall  not  this  land  hail  the  day  when  “ the  Lord  shall  be 
known  to  Egypt,  and  the  Egyptians  shall  know  the  Lord 
....  whom  the  Lord  of  Hosts  shall  bless,  saying,  Blessed 
be  Egypt  my  people  ? ” 

I am  happy  to  state  that  Rev.  Dr.  Paulding,  the  esteemed 
missionary  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  now  at 
Damascus,  contemplates  an  early  removal  to  Cairo;  and 
also*  that  the  American  Missionary  Association  has  resolved 
to  establish  a mission  among  the  Copts.  The  recent  ad- 
vances of  the  Sultan  toward  the  full  religious  freedom  of 
his  subjects,  renders  this  new  field  one  of  special  interest  and 
promise. 

0 Lord ! thine  ancient  churches  spare, 

Which  still  thy  name,  though  fallen,  bear ; 

Where  once  thy  bold  apostles  stood, 

And  sealed  thy  truth  with  martyr’s  blood. 


I 


A PLEA  FOR  MISSIONS. 


337 


Where  now  the  Turk  in  darkness  reigns, 

To  curse  with  blight  Earth’s  fairest  plains  — 
There  let  again  thy  Gospel  shine, 

With  beams  all  bright  and  power  divine. 

Where  Jesus  rose  and  left  the  grave, 

There  let  the  Cross  its  banner  wave ; 

While  Syria  sees  her  churches  rise, 

And  hymns  to  Christ  ascend  the  skies. 

Let  Nubia’s  desert  hear  once  more 
The  Saviour’s  voice,  His  love  implore ; 
Egy:pt  Thy  sacred  Word  unroll, 

And  find  that  grace  which  saves  the  soul. 

29 


/ 


CHAPTER  XL 

n 

HELIOPOLIS,  THE  CITY  OF  JOSEPH THE  PYRAMIDS 

AND  SPHINX EGYPT  A SEPULCHRE. 

To  the  classical  and  the  Biblical  scholar,  the  most  inter- 
esting remains  of  old  Egypt  are  those  of  Heliopolis,  about 
nine  miles  north-east  of  Cairo.  This  city  is  referred  to  in 
the  Scriptures  under  the  three  names  of  On , Aven , and 
Hethshemesh  — the  latter  corresponding  with  the  Greek 
Heliopolis , and  the  Egyptian  Bi-Be,  meaning  the  “ House 
of  the  Sun.”  Here  was  a “ fountain  of  the  sun,”  in  con- 
nection with  which  a splendid  temple  was  built,  with  the 
usual  adornments  of  propyla  and  avenues  of  sphinxes. 
Heliopolis  was  a city  of  small  dimensions,  but  its  celebrity 
arose  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  university-city,  the 
Oxford  of  ancient  Egypt,  where,  in  connection  with  the 
temple,  were  schools  of  philosophy  and  science,  under  the 
care  of  the  priests. 

Its  interest  to  the  Biblical  student  lies  in  the  fact,  that  it 
can  be  certainly  identified  with  the  Old  Testament  narra- 
tive of  Joseph.  When  Pharaoh  exalted  Joseph,  “ he  gave 
him  to  wife  Asenath,  the  daughter  of  Potipherah,  priest  [or 
prince,  governor,]  of  On”  Gen.  xli.  45.  It  is  certain,  there- 
fore, that  Joseph  often  visited  this  city,  and  probable  that 
he  had  a residence  here,  as  well  as  at  the  capital  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  And  I have  noticed  in  this  con- 
nection, a striking  corroboration  of  the  Bible  narrative,  in 
the  remaining  ruins  of  Heliopolis.  That  narrative  mentions 


HELIOPOLIS. 


339 


a city  of  On  in  the  time  of  Joseph,  and  that  the  Pharaoh  „ 
who  honored  Joseph  gave  him  his  wife  from  the  first  family 
of  that  city.  Now,  it  is  generally  agreed  by  antiquarians, 
that  the  name  of  the  monarch  who  was  contemporary  with 
Joseph  was  Osirtasen  I.,  and  upon  the  ruins  of  the  temple 
of  the  Sun  at  On,  the  cartouche  of  Osirtasen  I.,  with  his 
name  in  hieroglyphics,  has  been  discovered,  and  other  evi- 
dences that  the  temple  of  the  Sun  was  founded  by  that 
Pharaoh.  Here  is  proof,  then,  graven  in  granite,  that  the 
city  of  On  did  exist  ip  the  time  of  the  Pharaoh  who  hon- 
ored Joseph,  and  that  the  monarch  had  such  relations 
toward  that  city  and  its  temple,  as  might  naturally  lead  him 
to  bestow  upon  a favorite  the  daughter  of  its  priest,  or 
governor. 

It  is  most  probable  that  at  Heliopolis  — the  Egyptian 
university  — Moses  became  learned  in  all  the  wdsdom  of 
the  Egyptians.  Tradition  points  to  the  island  of  Bhoda,  as 
the  place  where  the  infant  Moses  was  exposed.  This  is 
opposite  old  Cairo,  the  Egyptian  Babylon.  But  there  is 
nothing  in  history,  or  in  the  locality,  to  justify  this  reference. 

It  is,  however,  most  probable,  that  Heliopolis  was  the  place 
of  his  education.  The  obelisks  at  Alexandria,  called  Cleo- 
patra’s Needles,  were  removed  from  Heliopolis,  and  they 
contain  the  cartouches  of  the  Pharaohs  who  were  contem- 
porary with  Moses. 

To  the  classical  scholar,  the  special  interest  of  Heliopolis 
lies  in  the  fact,  that  Plato  spent  thirteen  years  in  this  city, 
under  the  tuition  of  the  priests.  Is  it  not  possible  that 
some  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  lingering  from  the  time 
of  Joseph  and  of  Moses,  was  here  communicated  to  him, 
and  subsequently  wrought  into  his  philosophy  ? Greece 
here  went  to  school  to  Egypt. 

The  only  remains  of  Heliopolis,  now  visible,  are  an 
obelisk  some  seventy  feet  high,  and  in  tolerable  preserva- 


340 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


tion,  though  the  mud-wasps  have  obscured  many  of  its 
hieroglyphics  with  their  nests  ; and  besides  this,  the  remains 
of  a few  sphinxes  and  columns  scattered  over  the  plain. 
The  Nile  has  deposited  at  least  ten  feet  of  soil  upon  the 
ruins  of  the  ancient  city,  and  has  receded  nearly  a mile 
from  its  old  channel. 

Jeremiah  predicted  that  a conqueror  from  the  east  — the 
king  of  Babylon  — should  “break  the  images  of  Bethshe- 
mesh,  that  is  in  the  land  of  Egypt,”  and  should  “ burn  with 
fire  the  houses  of  the  gods.”  And  history  records  that  Cam- 
byses,  the  Persian,  was  the  destroyer  of  Heliopolis  or 
Bethshemesh ; the  house  or  temple  of  the  sun. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Heliopolis  is  a beautiful  garden, 
whose  main  attraction  is  a large  sycamore  tree,  which  is 
said  to  have  sheltered  the  holy  family  when  they  fled  into 
Egypt.  The  tree  has  certainly  renewed  its  youth,  and  its 
wide  spread  branches  afford  a grateful  shelter,  both  to  the 
contemplative  and  to  the  hungry  visitor. 

It  was  fortunate  that  a visit  to  the  pyramids  was 
reserved  for  the  finale  to  our  tour  of  Egypt.  We  had 
gazed  for  hours  upon  these  wondrous  masses,  in  sailing  up 
and  down  the  river,  and  we  had  studied  their  proportions, 
and  their  relative  position  from  the  citadel  of  Cairo,  but  it 
was  not  till  the  day  of  discharging  our  boat  upon  our  return 
from  Upper  Egypt,  that  we  found  an  opportunity  to  visit 
them. 

The  road  to  the  pyramids  from  Ghizeh,  opposite  old 
Cairo,  is  extremely  beautiful,  lying  through  groves  of  palms, 
and  over  cultivated  plains,  with  the  grand  monuments  of 
four  thousand  years  bounding  the  horizon.  As  we  rode  in 
the  freshness  of  the  morning,  the  booming  of  cannon  from 
the  citadel  announced  a military  inspection  at  Ghizeh  by 
the  Pasha,  and  reminded  us  that  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs 
is  in  the  keeping  of  a deputy  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey.  It 


THE  SPHINX 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  SPHINX. 


341 


seemed  as  though  we  had  come  to  the  burial-place  of 
Egypt,  and  these  heavy  solemn  reverberations  between  the 
Mokuttam  and  the  pyramids,  were  funeral  honors  to  the 
mighty  dead. 

A ride  of  two  hours  brought  us  in  sight  of  the  sphinx, 
and  being  in  advance  of  the  party,  I had  leisure  to  inspect 
it  alone.  Of  all  the  monuments  of  Egypt,  this  is  the  most 
mysterious,  and  the  most  impressive.  On  the  verge  of  the 
desert,  whose  sands  are  heaped  around  it,  in  advance  of  the 
three  pyramids  that  stand  as  an  immovable  phalanx  to 
guard  it  from  destruction,  this  colossal  figure,  — the  human 
head  upon  the  body  of  an  animal,  emblematic  of  “the  union 
of  intellect  and  physical  force,”  — measuring  more  than 
sixty  feet  from  the  ground  to  the  crown  of  the  head,  more 
than  a hundred  feet  around  the  forehead,  and  nearly  a 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  all  cut  from  the  solid  rock, 
looks  out  in  unfathomable  silence  over  the  empty  plain, 
wher^  once  stood  Memphis  in  the  pride  of  the  earlier 
Pharaohs,  and  where  Cambyses  battered  down  that  pride 
with  the  recklessness  of  a barbarian  invader.  Once  an 
altar  stood  before  it,  and  a dromos  of  crouching  lions  and 
other  figures  formed  a fit  approach  to  the  gigantic  symbol 
of  Egypt  deified . Now  the  sand  drifts  in  perpetually  to 
hide  all  but  the  head,  whose  sublime  repose  neither  the  war- 
club  of  the  Persian,  nor  the  fury  of  the  sirocco,  has  ever 
disturbed. 

“The  site  of  the  'pyramids  is  on  the  very  edge  of  the 
desert,  on  a rising  ground  faced  by  numerous  excavated 
tombs,  about  a hundred  and  twenty-seven  feet  above  the 
present  level  of  the  Nile.  The  great  pyramid,  that  of 
Cheops,  is  the  most  northern  of  the  series.  The  second 
lies  to  the  south-west  of  it,  on  a somewhat  higher  ground, 
and  the  third  is  in  the  same  direction,  on  ground  still  a 
little  higher.  At  the  south  corner  of  the  first  are  three 


342 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


of  the  smaller  pyramids,  one  of  which  is  ascribed  by  Herod- 
otus to  the  daughter  of  Cheops;  and  to  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  third,  are  other  three  similar  fabrics.  There 
is  the  site  of  a temple  to  the  east  of  the  second  pyramid. 
Ranges  of  tombs  run  parallel  north  and  south.  Near  the 
margin  of  the  rock,  overlooking  the  valley  of  the  Nile, 
stands  the  sphinx,  on  a line  with  the  southern  edge  of  the 
second  pyramid.”  The  pyramids  are  in  the  heart  of  a 
great  necropolis,  of  which  these  are  the  most  stupendous 
monuments ; — “ too  great  a morsel  for  time  to  devour.” 

Instead  of  useful  works,  like  nature  great, 

Enormous  cruel  wonders  crushed  the  land, 

And  round  a tyrant's  tomb,  who  none  deserved, 

For  one  vile  carcase  perished  countless  lives. 

The  advent  of  our  party  called  me  from  the  sphinx  to 
the  pyramid  of  Cheops.  Pictures  and  descriptions  have 
made  this  so  familiar,  that  all  details  of  its  magnitude  are 
superfluous.  And,  indeed,  no  idea  of  the  great  pyramid 
can  be  given  by  the  statement,  that  it  covers  an  area  of 
nearly  five  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  feet,  measures 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  upon  each  of  its  four  sides  at 
the  base,  and  is  four  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  height,  or 
that  it  would  fill  the  whole  length  of  Washington  Square  in 
New  York,  and  exceed  its  breadth  by  one  half,  and  would 
rise  nearly  two  hundred  feet  higher  than  the  spire  of  Trinity 
Church.  The  mass  of  the  masonry  is  what  impresses  you. 
Eighty-five  million  cubic  feet  of  solid  masonry  gives  you  no 
very  definite  idea  of  the  mass  of  stone  here  piled  together, 
with  such  mathematical  precision,  that  astronomical  calcula- 
tions could  be  based  upon  its  angles  and  shadows.  No,  you 
must  see  the  mass  itself,  not  now  smooth  and  polished,  as 
when  originally  completed,  but  stripped  of  its  outer  casing, 
and  showing  tier  on  tier  of  huge  stones  squared  and  fitted 


THE  PYRAMIDS  AND  SPHINX. 


343 


at  mathematical  angles,  and  now  forming  a series  of  rude 
steps  each  from  two  to  four  feet  high,  by  which,  if  strong 
nerved,  you  may  clamber  unaided  to  the  top,  or  up  which 
you  may  be  dragged  by  two  Arabs  pulling  by  your  arms, 
while  a third  applies  the  vis  a tergo.  I chose  the  latter 
method  as  the  safest  for  the  nerves  of  my  friends  below,  to 
say  nothing  of  my  own,  and  reached  the  summit  in  about 
twelve  jninutes. 

To  guard  against  annoyance  from  my  guides,  I stipulated 
that  no  demand  should  be  made  for  backsheish  till  they  had 
landed  me  safe  at  the  bottom  again,  when  they  should  be 
amply  remunerated.  But  before  we  were  one  third  of  the 
way  up,  one  who  spoke  in  broken  English,  began  the  clamor : 
“ Master  no  sick ; master  no  tired ; master  give  very  good 
backsheish ; master  give  pound  backsheish *’ ; and  on  reaching 
an  open  space,  called  the  half-way  house,  they  refused  to 
carry  me  to  the  top  without  instant  payment  of  backsheish . 
I told  them  I had  no  money,  and  in  proof  handed  them  my 
purse,  which  I had  taken  the  precaution  to  empty.  With 
much  disappointment  and  grumbling,  they  resumed  the 
ascent,  but  on  reaching  the  top,  renewed  their  clamor,  to  the 
great  discomfort  of  a meditative  mood. 

The  top  of  the  great  pyramid  is  now  a platform  about 
thirty  feet  square.  The  view  from  this  elevation  is  unpar- 
alleled in  the  world.  Before  you  is  Cairo,  with  its  lofty 
minarets  and  its  overhanging  citadel,  — the  mountains  of 
Mokuttam  skirting  its  rear ; the  green  valley  of  the  Nile  is 
spread  out  for  miles  northward  and  southward  ; at  your  feet 
are  the  mounds  of  sand  that  cover  the  ancient  Memphis  ; south- 
ward is  the  whole  range  of  pyramids  to  Sakkara;  behind 
you  are  fragments  of  other  pyramids,  the  Lybian  mountains 
and  the  wide  waste  of  the  Great  Desert.  But  the  present 
view  is  lost  in  the  associations  of  the  Past.  You  are  stand- 
ing upon  a monument  that  is  known  to  have  stood  within  a 


344 


EGYPT,  PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


score  of  four  thousand  years ; that  was  as  old  as  are  our 
associations  of  Plymouth  Rock,  when  Abraham  came  into 
Egypt,  and  journeyed  to  Memphis  to  enjoy  the  favor  of  the 
king.  He  looked  with  wondering  eyes  upon  this  selfsame 
monument,  and  heard  the  then  dim  tradition  of  the  tyrant 
who,  having  built  it  for  his  own  sepulchre  by  the  sweat  and 
blood  of  half  a million  of  his  subjects,  was  compelled  to  beg 
of  his  friends  to  bury  him  privately  in  some  secret  place, 
lest  after  his  death,  his  body  should  be  dragged  by  the 
people  from  the  hated  tomb. 

Here,  too,  was  the  site  of  a city  whose  foundation  dates 
within  the  first  century  after  the  flood,  and  which  stood  for 
nearly  three  thousand  years ; a city  of  twenty  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, that  divided  with  Thebes  the  honors  of  the 
capital,  and  at  length  became  the  head  of  all  Egypt.  But 
no  trace  of  Memphis,  the  Noph  of  Scripture,  can  now  be 
found,  excepting  two  or  three  mutilated  statues,  whose  frag- 
ments adorn  the  British  Museum,  and  some  rude  outline  of 
its  form  in  now  shapeless  masses  of  stone.  A hundred  years 
ago,  the  position  of  Memphis  was  entirely  unknown.  Sir 
Gardner  Wilkinson  expresses  his  surprise  that  “ so  few  re- 
mains of  this  vast  city  can  be  found,”  and  says,  “ that  the 
only  traces  of  its  name  in  the  country  are  preserved  by 
very  doubtful  tradition,  and  the  manuscripts  of  the  Copts.” 
That  so  great  a city,  the  capital  of  so  mighty  an  empire, 
should  have  passed  from  the  memory  of  men,  may  well  be  a 
marvel  to  the  mere  antiquarian  ; but  the  reader  of  prophecy 
will  remember  that  Jeremiah  foretold  expressly,  that  “ Noph 
shall  he  waste  and  desolate , without  an  inhabitant .”  (xlvi.  19). 

The  first  view  of  the  pyramids  impressed  me  with  their 
grandeur  as  the  monuments  of  kings,  — the  parting  view  filled 
me  with  awe  of  their  solemn  majesty  as  monuments  of  de- 
parted empires.  The  kings  that  built  them  prepared  a 
tombstone  for  Egypt  against  her  burial.  Since  I first  saw 


EGYPT  A SEPULCHRE. 


345 


tliem  from  the  Delta,  I had  traversed  for  five  hundred  miles 
the  valley  of  the  Upper  Nile,  and  had  found  it  filled  with 
buried  cities : I had  seen  Thebes  a ruin,  and  now  saw  the 
utter  desolation  of  Noph  and  On.  The  whole  Nile  valley 
is  a sepulchre,  where  Egypt  is  buried,  and  these  are  the 
monuments  that  mark  the  entrance  to  the  tomb.  Descend- 
ing, I stood  again  in  the  solemn  presence  of  the  sphinx ; 
and  that  huge  mysterious  head  looked  out,  motionless, 
fathomless,  while  the  shadows  of  the  ages  deepened,  till  the 
grave  of  Egypt  was  shrouded  in  eternal  night. 


APPENDIX 


A. 

The  following  is  the  religious  chant  referred  to  on  page  32,  whose 
notes  form  the  recitative  of  the  Nile  song. 


lah.  La  i - - la  - - ha  il  - la-1  lah. 


B. 

The  following  is  a table  of  Egyptian  Dynasties  prepared  for  Bohn’s 
edition  of  the  Letters  of  Lepsius.  It  contains  the  Lists  of  Manetho, 
and  the  dates  of  Bunsen  and  Lepsius.  The  list  compiled  by  Mr. 
Poole,  and  reducing  very  much  the  antiquity  of  these  dates,  will  be 
found  in  Appendix  C. 


348 


APPENDIX, 


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1 These  dates  were  obligingly  supplied  by  Dr.  Lepsius  himself,  in  a letter  dated  Berlin  the  5th  of  July,  1853. 


APPENDIX. 


349 


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APPENDIX. 


APFENDIX, 


351 


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352 


APPENDIX. 


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Bunsen. 

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Names  of  the  same  Kings 
in  other  Authors. 

Smcn-Titi 

Pi-Scham 

Nefru-ke-ra 

Menephthah 

Pcher-Se-Amcn 

Pianch 

Pi-Scham-Miamn  II. 

Sesonchis 
Usuken,  Userken, 
Oserkan 

Takiloth 

Pet-subast,  Pet-Pacht 
Oserkna,  Userken 
P-Si-Mut 

Names  of  the  Kings 
in  the  Lists  of 
Manetho,  or  of 
Eratosthenes. 

Smendes 

Phusemes 

Nephereheres 

Menophthes 

Osochor 

Phinaches 

Phusemes 

Sheshonk  I. 
Osorkon  I. 

Peher 

Osorkon  II. 
Sheshonk  II. 
Takelet  I. 
Osorkon  III. 
Sheshonk  III. 
Takelet  II. 

Petubastes 
Osorcho 
Psammus 
Zet,  Sethos 

Boccheris 

•NIDIHO 

•axiNYX 

•axixsvang; 

•axiNYX 

•axivg 

•iisvxia 

hH 

M 

m i 

R 

M 

> 

M 

M 

APPENDIX, 


353 


G 

i 

P 

> 

& 

£ 

u. 

pt 

! 

Schabak  and  Trhakah  are  the  So 
and  Tirhakah  of  the  Bible. 

Arches  in  the  tombs  near  the  Py- 
ramids of  Gizeh. 

Conquest  of  Egypt  by  Cambyses. 

Approximate  Dates 
B.  c.  of 'beginning 

riwnQcftr 

\ 

Lepsius. 

c.  680 

m 

<N 

O 

Bunsen. 

r- 

eo 

r- 

N 

QO 

<N 

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b 

C 

S 

a 

£ 

a 

a 

a 

X 

<4- 

c 

a 

1 

in  other  Authors. 

Shabak,  Sabako 
Tahraka,  Taheika 

Psammetichus 

Names  of  the  Kings 
in  the  Lists  of 
Manetho,  or  of 
Eratosthenes 

Sevech  I. 
Sevech  II. 
Tirhaka 

Stephinales 
Nechepsos 
Necho  I. 
Psammetik  I. 
Necho  II. 
Psammetik  II. 
Psammetik  III. 

Cambyses 
Darius  I. 

Hystaspis 
Xerxes  I. 
Artabanos 
Artaxerxes 
Xerxes  II. 
Sogdianos 
Darius  II. 
Nothus 

Amyrteos 

•raorao 

•NViaonix^ 

•axivg 

•KYisaaj 

•axivg 

•iXSVKiCL 

XXY. 

XXYI. 

| 

XXVII. 

i 

i 

j 

XXVIII. 

30* 


354 


APPENDIX. 


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355 


c. 


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18th  Dynasty,  Diospolites,  Aahmes,  1525  b.  c.  ; Amenoph  I.,  Thothmes  I.,  and  Skhee,B.  c.  1472  ; Thothmes  II., 
and  Queen  Anennumt,  b.  c.  1450;  Thothmes  III.,  Amenoph  II.,  Thothmes  IV.,  Amenoph  III.,  Horemheb ; also, 
contemporaneously,  Amenmes,  Amenoph  IV.,  Bekhenatenra,  Hakkara,  Amentuaukh,  Atenra,  Atenraenses,  and 
one  unknown,  Rameses  I.  Nineteenth  Dynasty,  Sethee  I.,  b.  c.  1340,  commencement  of  Sothic  Cycle,  b.  c. 
1322,  Rameses  II.,  Menptah,  Armenmeses,  Menptah  Siptah.  End  of  Nineteenth  Dynasty,  b.  c.  1220. 


DATE  DUE 

GAYLORD 

PRINTEDIN  U.S.A. 

; I ■ • V ' 


DT54 .T47 

Photographic  views  of  Egypt,  past  and 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1 1012  00043  1306 


